Survivor
by supergirlfan
Summary: "Can we ever really leave our past behind? Or are we simply able to outrun it for a while, only to trip up and allow it to overwhelm us yet again?" Cat has never recovered from the events of her childhood, specifically sexual abuse. As she struggles to cope with her feelings and memories, Kara tries her hardest to help. WARNING - trigger alert for sexual abuse/assault! Be safe!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Trigger warnings for childhood sexual abuse, and sexual assault! Please be careful!

So this topic is pretty dark, and definitely not for everyone. It was suggested to me by a reader that certain aspects of Cat's behavior are consistent with victims of sexual abuse/sexual assault, and I found that fascinating. So I'm using this user's suggestion for a topic of Cat trying to cope with her past and Kara trying to find a way to help.

This is set sometime fairly early in the season, after Cat was "proven wrong" about Kara being Supergirl, but before the Red Kryptonite.

I didn't originally post this on fanfiction (only on AO3) because it's darker than most stuff on this site, but I figured what the hell.

I will say it again, because the last thing I want to do is traumatize anyone:  
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR REFERENCES TO CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE AND THE THREAT OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT

I'm supergirlfan101 on Tumblr, if you would like to contact me. Comments here are also more than welcome!

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She awoke clutching the blanket with her fists, sheets wound around her like a vise. The scream she'd been about to release died in her throat. She sat up, gasping for air, and blinked her eyes rapidly to focus. Reaching a shaking hand toward the nightstand, she fumbled around until she found the light switch. She flicked it on, and forced herself to breathe deeply. Slowly, the world around her came back into focus, and she remembered where she was, and who she was. She sat up in bed, returning to the present, and to reality.

'It was just a dream.' Those five words, meant to bring her comfort, instead served as a warning that nothing was ever as it appeared. There was no such thing as 'just a dream' anymore, not when they brought such vivid reminders of events that should have ended long ago. Indeed, there never had been. She thought she had left those dreams behind, and the realities that accompanied them. But can we ever really leave our pasts behind? Or are we simply able to outrun it for a while, only to trip up and allow it to overwhelm us yet again? Recently, the past had returned with a vengeance, and the nightmares that wracked her dreams were tearing her apart.

She glanced at the clock. 2:59 a.m. Well, it could have been worse. At least she'd gotten a couple of hours of sleep. There would be no going back to bed tonight: she wasn't going to risk any more nightmares. She rose from the bed slowly, threw her robe over her nightgown, and stepped out onto the balcony to get some fresh air. Perhaps a glass of whiskey would calm her nerves. She was about to go inside and pour herself a glass when she heard the faint flutter of a cape.

She looked up in surprise. "Supergirl? What are you doing here at this ungodly time of night?"

Supergirl smiled. "Ms. Grant, I was about to ask you the same question."

"I live here," Cat responded dryly.

The superhero laughed. "I know that. I meant, what are you doing awake at this time of night?"

Cat sighed. She was not going to explain what had woken her up this morning. Supergirl didn't need to hear about her problems. Some things, after all, were not meant to be shared. "Probably the same thing as you. Couldn't sleep, Supergirl?"

The hero shrugged noncommittally.

Cat wouldn't let it go that easily. Truthfully, she was thrilled to have someone to talk to. Nothing would make the dreams go away faster than an interesting conversation. And Cat found the idea of a restless superhero fascinating. She would love to know what went on inside the mind of a Kryptonian. Did Supergirl even need sleep? "Do you do this often, at three in the morning? Fly around the city looking for company?"

"More than you'd think, Ms. Grant." The faraway look in Supergirl's eyes made that response seem even more intriguing.

"And why is that?" Cat inquired curiously. "What keeps you up at night?"

"I don't need as much sleep as humans," the Kryptonian responded. There was more to the story, but she would leave it at that. "I spend a lot of time wide awake at strange hours."

Cat looked at her speculatively. "So what do you think about, when the rest of the world is sleeping?"

The Kryptonian just shook her head. "We all have our secrets, Ms. Grant. I won't bore you with mine."

Cat wanted to tell her that nothing about the superhero could ever be boring. She wanted to know more about this fascinating woman. More than anything, she wanted company at this time of night. But she had taken enough of the hero's time already. "Well, I hope you find what you're looking for, Supergirl," she said softly.

The Kryptonian sighed. "And I hope you're able to get some sleep," she murmured, and took off into the night.

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The morning started off badly when she'd had to berate two different editors for neglecting to get their work in on time, and had deteriorated from there. She had already threatened to fire five people, and she wasn't even close to done. Why did people have to be such idiots? Did she have to do everything herself?

"Kiera!" She saw her assistant start to rise as soon as she inhaled, as if she'd known the call was coming.

"Yes, Ms. Grant?"

"Go get me the layouts from the fashion department. And while you're there, take a few lessons from them. Your wardrobe really needs an upgrade."

"Of course, Ms. Grant," Kara said, ignoring the insult and scurrying off to accomplish her assigned task.

Well, that was thoroughly unsatisfying, Cat thought. She'd hoped to take a little bit of her anger out on her capable assistant, but Kara never seemed to rise to the bait. The young woman just smiled as if she hadn't even heard the insult, and carried out her job to perfection. She wasn't sure why that irritated her so much.

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By lunch time, Cat was ready to murder someone. The printing presses had broken down briefly, and now production was behind schedule on CatCo's monthly magazine. The fact that they could easily catch up overnight was beside the point. This was not how a first-class company ran its business. "Kiera," she demanded, "find out who was responsible for that printing fiasco, and bring him up here so I can fire him." Kara nodded, and sighed as she headed downstairs. This was going to be ugly.

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By the time Cat had fired three of the workers involved in printing the magazine, she was feeling marginally better. The idiots had deserved their fate, and much, much more. I mean really, jamming up the printing presses with home-made baseball cards for members of their adult softball league? Were they children? She rolled her eyes at the sights of middle-aged men with beer bellies, trying to look like sluggers. Good riddance.

When Kara had brought the sheets of baseball cards to Cat, her assistant had barely had the heart to mount a defense for the three men. And if Kara couldn't find a way to defend them, no one could. When she shooed Kara away with a flick of her wrist, the woman had escaped with a look of relief on her face. Cat hadn't even had the heart to throw another insult at the girl, charmed as she was by Kara's pathetic attempts to mount a defense for these men.

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By the end of the work day, fatigue was catching up to Cat. Her lack of sleep the night before had simply been the latest in a stream of nightmares and sleepless nights, and she could feel that it was starting to take a toll. She knew how to get through this, though. She had the house to herself tonight, and she would do what she usually did to rectify situations like these. Just as she spun around in her chair, Kara appeared in her doorway.

"Will you be needing anything else tonight, Ms. Grant?"

She sighed. "No, Kiera. Go home." Cat knew that if she asked, her assistant would stay for hours, catering to her every whim. She was half-tempted to come up with tasks for Kara to do, just to avoid the loneliness that she was feeling. But she wasn't that much of an ogre.

Kara must have seen something in her gaze, because she stepped closer and asked softly, "Are you all right, Ms. Grant?"

That wouldn't do at all. Cat Grant was not a woman to be pitied. "I'm fine, Kiera. Go home and change out of that awful cardigan. And please burn it, so I never have to see it again. It's even more hideous than the rest of your wardrobe."

She saw the flash of hurt on Kara's face, and felt instantly ashamed. Kara recovered almost instantly, however, smiled politely, and said, "Good night, Ms. Grant," making Cat feel even worse about the cutting remarks. But at least now Kara wasn't looking so concerned. Cat did not tolerate the sympathy of others. Cat Grant didn't need anyone.

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The club was dimly lit, with strobe lights flashing periodically to add to the ambience. It smelled of alcohol and perfume, and was a little too crowded for Cat's liking. She strode up to the bar, and ordered a couple of shots. She needed to sleep, and the most effective recipe for that involved alcohol and the touch of a man or woman – she didn't really care which. Tonight, she was in a lesbian club, so the choice had been made.

After three shots, she was feeling loose enough to start surveying her options. A long, lean, dark-haired beauty was eyeing her from the other end of the room. Meanwhile, a younger blond woman made her way toward Cat, swinging her hips as she crept slowly toward the older woman. Cat met her eyes with a look that clearly told the woman what she was interested in, and the other woman offered a smile and a well-manicured hand. "I'm Charisse. And you might be the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen in this club."

Cat nearly rolled her eyes at the transparent line, but she supposed it might be true, after all. And the woman was hot, and they clearly wanted the same thing. She smiled back. "Cat. Would you like to dance?"

Cat was not in the mood for taking things slow tonight, and when they started dancing, she eased her body behind Charisse's and began moving in time with the other woman, using the motion as an excuse to put her hands all over her dance partner. Charisse did nothing to discourage her advances, pushing herself closer and sighing happily as Cat ran her hands up and down Charisse's sides. They moved as one, with Cat placing her hands on Charisse's hips and sliding them forward to explore other regions, until Charisse spun in Cat's arms, wrapped her arms around the older woman, and kissed her hungrily. They stopped dancing, oblivious to the music that was still playing, and deepened the kiss as arms snaked around each other. "Come home with me," Cat murmured, and the other woman nodded, a hungry look in her eyes.

There was no pretense of romance. What was between them was all need, and when they stepped inside of Cat's bedroom, they took what they wanted. Cat needed this release, and she needed not be alone tonight. It was just sex, she told herself, as she had a million times before. There was nothing wrong with finding ways to satisfy one's cravings. And as she lay, spent and relaxed, in the woman's arms, she knew that at least there would be no nightmares tonight. And even if there were, she had a beautiful woman by her side to distract her.

Kara sat, head in her hands, on top of a nearby building. She'd known, after last night's 3 a.m. nightmare, that Cat wouldn't be alone tonight. She was well acquainted with Cat's patterns, and her struggles to prevent the nightmares.

She had known about Cat's nightmares for a while now. One night, she'd been flying by, and had heard Cat's panicked scream. She stopped instantly, and prepared to break in until she realized that Cat was alone in her bed. She watched helplessly as Cat thrashed and moaned, until the woman finally woke up, curled into a ball, and tried to compose herself. She had wanted, so badly, to knock on Cat's balcony door and offer the woman comfort, but she suspected her comfort would not be accepted.

Since that night, she had taken to checking on Cat periodically. Whenever she was awake late at night, she would find herself flying by Cat's penthouse, hoping to see the woman sleeping soundly. What she'd seen lately had her very concerned. The nightmares had gotten worse, and Cat was not getting nearly enough sleep. Some nights, she wouldn't even try. Other nights, she would manage a few hours before being woken by a terrifying nightmare. Unfortunately, Cat had found only one solution to the nightmares – one-night stands. Whether due to the presence of another person in her bed, or her post-sex exhaustion, Cat slept better on those nights.

Kara tried not to be upset about it. She really did. Cat was doing what she needed to, in order to take care of herself. She tried not to think about another woman touching Cat, ignoring the rising tide of jealousy. It wasn't Cat's fault that Kara was smitten with the older woman. She sighed, knowing that nothing would ever come of her feelings, but wishing that somehow, she could be the woman helping Cat to fall asleep at night.

She had tried, last night, to talk with Cat. That was the first time she had ever made her presence known to the older woman. It quickly became evident, however, that Cat had no interest in talking about her nightmares. Before leaving work today, she had tried again, but Cat quickly slammed the door on that conversation by making a cutting remark about Kara's wardrobe choices. So Kara was reduced to checking on Cat from a distance, and trying not to think about how much she wished she could be the one comforting the older woman. She sighed, and took off, leaving Cat to conclude her night in private.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Charisse left early. Neither woman was interested in prolonging the encounter. Last night had been pleasant for both of them, but there was no point in pretending that it meant more than it did. Cat felt only relief at the woman's quick exit. She didn't need to dwell on last night's activities.

When Cat got to her office, she was greeted, as always, by Kara's smiling face. She took the latte from Kara's hand, and began firing directions at her assistant. "Move my meeting with Grant back to two o'clock. I need to spend some time with him going over the financials. You can cancel that facial I had scheduled, and book it for tomorrow."

Kara refrained from telling Cat that it had taken a week to get that facial scheduled in the first place. Cat would not be interested in excuses. She'd just have to find a way to get it done.

Cat continued with her demands. "Tell James I'm going to need those photos by noon. And let Susan know that I read her article, and that if that's the best work she can do, she should be writing for a third-rate tabloid. We have standards here at CatCo, and she had better learn that quickly."

"Yes, Ms. Grant. Will there be anything else?"

Cat lowered her sunglasses and glanced at Kara. She was distressed to see that her assistant looked upset about something, and wasn't quite meeting her eyes. Something must have happened to the poor girl. She wondered briefly about the source of Kara's unhappiness, and how she might be able to help. Then she scolded herself for even wasting time thinking about that. Kara was her assistant, and knew Cat only as a heartless boss who made cutting remarks and impossible demands. The girl would have to find someone else to confide in. "That'll be all, Kiera," she said dismissively.

A short while later, Cat's eyes were drawn to the television screens, which showed a massive pileup on the local highway. The crawl on the bottom of the screen said that an overturned tractor trailer had resulted in a 16-car accident, and that two of the cars had caught on fire. Police were especially concerned because the overturned vehicle was an oil truck. As she watched, Supergirl arrived at the scene. Her first action was to use her freeze-breath to extinguish the fires, avoiding a possible catastrophe. Next, she focused on pulling people out of the wreckage. Most bore only minor scratches and injuries, but a few were in bad shape. In one case, she ripped the top off of a car so that emergency workers could reach the victim, but they were unable to save him. The camera managed to catch a closeup of Supergirl looking devastated, and fighting the tears that threatened to escape.

After a few more minutes, Supergirl had taken care of the people involved in the wreckage, and began to move the damaged cars out of the roadway. She flipped the truck upright, and set all of the other cars in the breakdown lane. Once she was finished, she said goodbye to the rescue workers and flew off.

Cat glanced at her assistant's empty desk. She had been so sure, just a couple of weeks ago, that Kara and Supergirl were the same person. They looked nearly identical, and had the same innate goodness in their hearts. Kara also had a habit of disappearing during moments of crisis, just as Supergirl appeared to save the day. And when she'd confronted Kara about it, the woman's denials were less than convincing.

But then there had been that moment, just after Kara had quit, where the two women had shaken hands in her office. She'd been shocked and embarrassed, and realized that she had been wrong. And as she'd thought about it, she realized that their personalities were completely different. Supergirl was confident and self-assured, while Kara was anything but. Her awkward, fumbling, adorkable demeanor was completely opposite that of Supergirl. Kara would undoubtedly be terrified by the situations that Supergirl found herself embroiled in.

And yet… the similarities were still there. She thought of a few moments in which she'd seen that same fire in Kara's eyes that she often saw in Supergirl's. She remembered Kara's anger when she had dubbed the hero Supergirl, instead of Superwoman. She recalled Kara's fierce objections to her intention to downsize the Tribune, just before the appearance of Supergirl made that move unnecessary. Kara, too, was willing to fight for what she believed in.

Once again, Kara was missing during Supergirl's rescue. And since Supergirl had just flown off, she assumed… yes, there was Kara, walking back to her desk. With a black smudge on her nose. She saw the IT guy – Will or something – stand up to say something to Kara, and use a napkin to wipe her face. Kara smiled gratefully, and returned to her desk.

Cat shook her head. They couldn't be the same person. She'd seen the proof with her own eyes. She must be losing her mind. Maybe the lack of sleep was finally catching up to her.

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That evening, Cat was alone in her office, nursing a drink and avoiding going home. Carter was away for the week, and her apartment seemed unnaturally empty. Perhaps that's why the nightmares had been so bad. She thought briefly about settling for another fling, but dismissed the idea. She could make it through one night on her own.

She saw a flash of motion on her balcony, and stood up to investigate. When she opened the door, she saw Supergirl standing on her balcony, facing the city. Without turning around, the hero said softly, "I couldn't save that man today. I like to think I can save everyone, but I can't."

Cat felt a pang of sympathy for the young woman. It must have been so painful to watch that man die. But Supergirl didn't need her pity right now. In a dry tone, Cat said, "Surely you realize that you're only mortal? I know that National City understands that."

The Kryptonian nodded. "It's still hard to lose people."

"Of course it is," Cat responded softly. "Especially for someone with a heart like yours. But it's not your fault. You know that, right?"

"Knowing that isn't the same as believing it." The hero sighed. "Maybe if I was Supergirl full-time, I could save more people. Maybe I'm selfish to want a life of my own."

Cat was shocked and fascinated. She wanted to grab the hero and beg her to reveal everything about herself. Supergirl had never even acknowledged that she was a 'regular person' before, and here she was, admitting her own insecurities. There were so many things that Cat wanted to say, it was nearly impossible to know where to start.

But Supergirl required a light touch. At the slightest sense of danger, she would take off. And danger, in this particular case, meant any threats to her real identity. Cat needed to reassure the girl. She schooled her features into a neutral expression, and offered her opinion. "I think it would be impossible for anyone to be Supergirl all the time. Supergirl has to be perfect. She has to be better than any human, and never make mistakes. She doesn't get to be a real person, with feelings and emotions and imperfections. She's an ideal. Who could possibly live like that, without any hopes or dreams of your own?"

Cat paused, and laughed bitterly. "When I thought my assistant was you, I told her I was going to fire her so that she could be Supergirl full-time. I was wrong about who she was, but I was also wrong to ask that of her." She looked earnestly at the superhero. "You have to be able to take off the suit, or you could never be the hero that you are."

Cat took a step toward the superhero, grasped her hand lightly, and looked into her eyes. "And you are a hero. You are exceptional." She wasn't sure what had possessed her to say that, all of a sudden. But she knew that she meant it earnestly. She stared into those bottomless blue eyes, and saw the strength and weariness that warred within the hero. As Supergirl met her gaze, Cat saw tenderness creep into those eyes. She couldn't resist putting her hand on the hero's cheek, and heard the young woman's breath catch at her gentle touch. She wanted to pull the hero closer, to touch those lips to her own, and to show Supergirl just how much Cat believed in her. She took a step forward.

Just then, Supergirl whirled her head around to stare at something in the distance. "I have to go," the young woman said unsteadily.

Cat sighed, and nodded her understanding. "Someone needs help?" At the superhero's nod, she touched the woman's cheek again, and said, "Be safe."

Supergirl smiled. "Always. Good night, Ms. Grant." She took off into the darkness.

Cat whispered, "Good night, Supergirl."

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Cat kept her eye on the screen as the getaway car weaved through traffic. She saw a blur of red and blue, and then the car was lifted off the ground. The hero flew the car over toward the side of the road, and removed the four tires before placing it in the breakdown lane. The escapees pulled out guns, and Supergirl stopped to catch the bullets before twisting each gun in half. As they leapt out of the car, she quickly grabbed onto one, and then the other, and flew them over to the police, holding each person in one arm. Once she saw the cops take control of the prisoners, Cat relaxed and headed for home.

An hour later, she was sitting on her balcony, unable to bring herself to try to sleep, when a caped superhero made her second appearance of the night. "I'm beginning to think you're stalking me," Cat said, smiling so that the hero would know she wasn't serious.

Supergirl smiled back, slightly embarrassed, and Cat couldn't help but be reminded of Kara by the gesture. "I just wanted to come and say thank you," she said softly. "For talking to me earlier. You helped me a lot, and I wanted you to know how much I appreciate it."

"I'm always here for you, Supergirl," Cat responded quietly. "I hope you know that."

The hero smiled. She reached her arm out to touch Cat's cheek, mirroring Cat's gesture from earlier, and said, "Thank you." Then she flew away into the night.

Cat sighed and stared after the hero, wishing that they could've continued what they nearly started earlier. Then she shook her head at her ridiculous thoughts, and went to bed. She lay awake for a long time before finally succumbing to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The following evening, Cat was back at a nightclub. Last night, she'd managed only three hours of sleep before being woken by a terrifying nightmare, and had no intention of dealing with that again tonight. She sat at the bar, surveying the crowd for a suitable partner, but didn't like the looks of any of the men who were leering at her. She might be promiscuous, but she still had standards. After a few glasses of the club's best whiskey, she gave up and decided to go to another bar. She headed toward the back entrance, where her driver had been told to pick her up. Halfway down the deserted hallway, she was approached by one of the men who'd been eyeing her. Judging by the smell, he was extremely drunk, and his stumbling walk confirmed those suspicions.

"I noticed you're here alone," he commented, "and so am I. What do you say we have some fun tonight?"

"Sorry, not interested," Cat said firmly, and took a step past him. She was alarmed when he grabbed her wrist.

"Come on, babe. I know you want it, and I'm more than happy to give it to you." At her continued struggle, he shoved her against the wall and pushed his body up against her. "Okay, we can do it right here if you'd rather," he said, smirking and running a hand over her chest. He brought his head forward to kiss her, when suddenly he went flying backward.

"She said no, asshole!" Cat stiffened at the familiar-sounding voice. Then she looked up, and confirmed her fears. Standing there, pushing her glasses back up her nose and glaring at the man, was her assistant. Cat watched the man grab the back of his head and grimace, and she saw Kara kick him with a strength that looked like it should have broken her foot. Instead, the man winced as the foot hit his stomach, and curled into a ball in pain.

Kara turned to Cat and suddenly looked embarrassed. "Sorry," she murmured, "but I saw him follow you this way, and I got worried."

Cat was thoroughly humiliated. She'd been here looking for a one-night stand, searching the bar for a suitable partner, and quite obviously making herself available. This man had read her signals correctly, and took what he assumed was being freely offered. That was her fault. And Kara… Kara must have seen everything. She was angry with herself, but that would never do. She took it out on Kara.

"Do you really think I can't take care of myself?" she asked angrily.

"No, I–" Kara was flustered by the unexpected reaction. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm sure you could have taken care of it yourself, but I was angry. He had no right to touch you."

"Maybe I wanted him to touch me, Kara. Maybe I was asking for it."

"You– I didn't think– You were struggling against him."

"So you do think I'm helpless," Cat concluded darkly.

"No! That's– That's not what I said! I know you can take care of yourself. I'm sorry!"

"Just leave me alone, Kiera," Cat responded, her voice dismissive and cruel.

"I– But–" She sighed. "Okay," Kara said sadly, and left.

As her assistant was leaving, Cat noticed that Kara was still wearing her work clothes. Unusual attire for a club. And it was strange that she hadn't spotted Kara earlier. But then, Kara was an unusual woman.

Cat felt awful for the way she'd treated her assistant. She had taken her own embarrassment out on someone whose only crime was in trying to save Cat from possible assault. And Cat knew that she would not have been able to stop the assault on her own, despite her claims to the contrary. Kara had rescued her, and in return Cat had chased her away.

No longer in the mood for company, Cat told her driver to take her home.

From atop a nearby building, Kara watched Cat leave the club. She didn't understand what she had done wrong. She'd had a bad feeling about Cat's safety tonight, and had flown by the club periodically to check on her boss. When she saw the man follow Cat down the hallway, she'd quickly changed back into work clothes and run into the hallway to stop the man, figuring that Cat wouldn't want Supergirl there to draw attention to her presence. She had thought she was doing the right thing, but Cat clearly disagreed.

Kara shook her head. She still couldn't figure out why Cat was upset with her.

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The next morning at CatCo was just like any other day. Cat breezed in, grabbing her latte and making demands that Kara carefully noted on her tablet. Nothing was said of the previous evening. Cat ignored the searching looks that Kara kept sending her way, and sent her on one errand after another to avoid receiving those glances. The only sign that the previous evening had even happened came just after lunch, when a courier delivered a vase of flowers to Kara.

Kara's mouth fell open at the sight of the expensive and beautiful bouquet. She asked the courier who the flowers were from, and he said he didn't know, but handed her a card before he left. She opened the card to see just two words, written in block lettering: "Thank you."

Instantly, Kara knew that this was as close to an apology as she would ever receive from Cat Grant. She glanced into her boss's office to see Cat furiously typing on her laptop. She knew that the older woman would not meet her glance, but she smiled in Cat's direction anyway, before arranging the flowers on her desk and returning to her work.

Nothing was said about the previous evening or the flowers until everyone else was gone for the night. Kara poked her head into Cat's office and asked the customary, "Will there be anything else, Ms. Grant?"

"That's all, Kiera. Good night."

Kara stood in the doorway for a moment, knowing that Cat would prefer that she didn't say anything, but needing to speak nonetheless. Eventually, Cat looked up. "Yes?" she asked, seeming annoyed by her assistant's hovering.

"Ms. Grant… I just wanted to say thank you for the flowers." She rushed to continue before Cat could say something dismissive. "And I want you to know that you deserve so much better than the way that man was treating you. I just needed to tell you that." Once finished, she stared at the ground and flushed with embarrassment.

Cat couldn't help herself. She had tried to make amends, but she couldn't let her assistant comment on her love life. What did Kara know, anyway? A gorgeous twenty-five-year-old woman surely wouldn't have to settle for anything. "Perhaps you don't understand how the world works, Kara, but I am well aware that there's not a huge market for bitter, jaded, divorced middle-aged women. Next time, you should probably keep your naïve opinions to yourself. Now go home."

Kara stood there for a moment longer, wanting desperately to argue with Cat, but knowing that her boss wouldn't tolerate it. In the end, she followed Cat's instructions, and left.

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An hour later, Cat was still working in her office. There was no reason to go home, and she wasn't ready to brave the bar scene again. When she heard the familiar whoosh of a cape, she stood up and walked out to the balcony. "Supergirl, this is becoming a daily routine."

"Not quite," Supergirl said. "But you've been staying pretty late at the office. I just came to check on you." She paused and looked at Cat. "Is everything okay?" she asked softly.

"Are you a therapist now?" Cat asked dryly.

"No, just a concerned friend," Supergirl responded.

"Is that what we are?" Cat mused.

Supergirl shrugged. "I'd like to think so." She looked slightly uncertain, and Cat reluctantly nodded. They were both women who shouldered incredible burdens, and they understood each other. And she'd like to think that Supergirl trusted her, as she did the superhero. That qualified them as friends.

Cat sighed. She could use a friend right now. She said, "I've said some awful things to someone I care about over the last two days." She was suddenly glad to know that Supergirl and Kara were two different people, because she desperately wanted to unburden herself.

The superhero sat down on the couch, knowing that Cat needed to talk to someone and wanting to show that she was listening. "What happened?" Supergirl asked quietly.

"Last night at a club, a guy came on to me, and I wasn't really interested. I could see why he thought I would be, because I was pretty obviously available, but he just wasn't my type." She refrained from saying that her type included anyone who wasn't a first-class creep. "He wouldn't take no for an answer, and he pinned me against a wall. I wouldn't have been able to stop him. But my assistant, of all people, showed up behind him and pulled him away. She defended me and beat him up."

Supergirl looked at her, trying to decipher the meaning of her words. "Isn't that a good thing, Ms. Grant?"

"No." Cat sighed. "First of all, I was asking for it, and I deserved whatever happened. But the bigger problem was that now my assistant knows what a slut I am, hanging around clubs and looking for sex."

Supergirl had shot out of her chair at the first sentence. For a moment, Cat thought she'd heard someone in danger; then she realized that the superhero was upset with what she'd said. "Ms. Grant, no one deserves to be sexually assaulted. Do you hear me? No one. What a ridiculous, awful thing to say about yourself. I don't care what you did or said. You did not deserve that. No one is allowed to force himself on you."

"I suppose," Cat said, not really wanting to argue the point.

The superhero looked at her – no, glared at her – for a moment. "You deserve so much better than anything that man did to you."

"God, you sound just like Kara," Cat said, sighing.

"And secondly," the superhero rushed to add, not wanting Cat to dwell on that particular point, "why would it matter if your assistant saw you in a club flirting with men? You're not married. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be with people, and wanting to feel desirable, or wanting sex. Why would your assistant judge you for that?"

"Supergirl, you couldn't possibly understand. I mean, look at you – young, beautiful, and perfect. It's different for older women like myself. I'm too old to be throwing myself at men. When I was young and desirable–"

The superhero cut her off. "Ms. Grant, you are a very desirable woman. Incredibly hot and sexy and gorgeous." The hero flushed, embarrassed that she had said that out loud. "But I don't think you see yourself clearly. I think you want other people to see that in you so you can feel better about yourself. And you don't need to. Because anyone with two eyes can see how amazing and beautiful you are."

The superhero needed to stop gushing before she embarrassed herself further. She changed the subject. "Ms. Grant, your assistant doesn't seem like the kind of woman who would judge you for what you do in your free time. I don't know Kara very well, but I've met her with James a couple of times." She hoped that was believable, because this was important. "My sense is that she doesn't judge people."

Cat nodded. "I trust Kara, as much as I trust anyone. But I hurt her tremendously, both last night and today. I tried to push her away."

"Why?" the hero asked, curious.

"Because she looks up to me. She doesn't need to know how desperate I am, and how pathetic."

"I don't think you're either of those things, Ms. Grant," Supergirl said softly. "And I doubt she does either." Supergirl got up. "Give her a chance, Ms. Grant," she urged. "I think she'll surprise you." She sighed. "I need to go. Will you try to let her in, Ms. Grant? Will you do that for me?"

"Maybe," Cat said hesitantly. "Why does it matter to you?"

"Because I don't like seeing you so alone," the superhero responded. "I care about you." She touched Cat's cheek, in what was becoming a ritual. Then she murmured, "Good night, Ms. Grant," and took off.


	4. Chapter 4

Cat had a rather uneventful weekend, at least in terms of one-night stands and superheroes. Carter was home, and she spent her nights playing board games and watching movies with him. She always slept a little better when Carter was there, but still, she stayed in bed as little as she could. She managed to get a few hours of sleep each night before the nightmares took over. By Monday, she was feeling a little bit better about things.

Still feeling guilty about how she'd treated her assistant, she tried her hardest to be nicer to Kara on Monday. The day was actually going fairly smoothly until Kara leapt up and ran to her door. "Ms. Grant, I just received word that your mother will be here in twenty minutes. I'm sorry, but she wouldn't be dissuaded. Would you like me to schedule you for a meeting in another building?"

Cat closed her eyes for a moment, wishing that she could somehow make her mother magically disappear. But she would be an adult about this. She could handle her mother. "No, Kara, I will see her briefly. If she stays more than ten minutes, you're to call me with an emergency."

"Of course, Ms. Grant." Kara looked at her for a moment, worried. "Are you sure?"

Cat nodded, biting back a snide remark. "Thank you, Kiera." She was trying to be nicer to the girl, but using Kara's correct name was beyond where she was willing to go.

Ten minutes later, Katherine Grant waltzed into the bullpen. As she passed Kara's desk, she called out, "Kitty, darling, I just had to stop by. You wouldn't believe the things I'm reading in the papers."

Cat stood up quickly and walked past her mother to close the office door. Whatever this was about, it wouldn't be good. Kara was concerned enough to use her super-hearing. She wasn't going to let Cat be beaten down, not after what she'd gone through in the previous week.

"Kitty, I've been seeing your name a lot in the tabloids. Leaving clubs with different people every night? That is NOT going to be good for your image. Now, you're old enough that you need to settle down. If you can't find a man who will have you, perhaps I can find one for you, but you can't keep risking your image, and mine, with this atrocious behavior."

"Atrocious behavior? Mother, I'm a single woman, entitled to date or sleep with whomever I please. Man or woman."

"Now, Kitty, I put up with this bisexual nonsense when you were younger, and still figuring yourself out. But it is time to find a man and settle down. I'm sure I can find you a suitable man who will be willing to date someone with your… baggage."

Cat was furious. Kara could always tell when Cat had snapped, because she turned very quiet and cold. In a soft, deadly voice, Cat said, "YOU can find me a suitable man? I thought the men you dated only liked young girls? Or was that just when I was growing up?"

"How dare you blame your own promiscuous behavior on me!"

"I was thirteen when it started," Cat whispered. "You think I WANTED that?" Cat hated that she felt compelled to defend herself. Falling apart was exactly what her mother wanted her to do. She was playing right into the woman's hands.

Kara widened her eyes. She felt guilty for listening in now, because she hadn't wanted to invade Cat's privacy. But it was too late to unlearn what she'd already heard. All she could do now was defend Cat if necessary.

"You were a slut then, and you still haven't changed!" Katherine roared. It was loud enough that Kara would have heard it even without her super-hearing.

Kara jumped out of her chair and slammed Cat's office door open. "How dare you walk into your daughter's building, invite yourself into her office, and call her those kinds of despicable names! What kind of mother would ever say that to her daughter?"

Katherine turned and said, "Ah, yes, the thoroughly mediocre assistant. Katie, was it? I see she still hasn't promoted you. Well, not everyone has what it takes."

"I may not be worth promoting, but at least I'm not a monster! You are a pathetic excuse for a mother, and I am sorry for every hour that Ms. Grant has ever had to spend with you. Now get out of her office, before I carry you out myself."

Katherine turned to her daughter. "Are you actually going to let your assistant speak to me in this way?"

Cat said coldly, "You heard her. Get out."

Katherine's face twisted in anger. She glared at both women for a second, and then stalked out.

Kara took a few steps after her and then stopped, fists clenched, wanting to punch a wall but knowing it would end badly for both the wall and herself. Cat stood there silently, not moving a muscle, her ashen face revealing far more than she cared to.

Kara spun around and spoke softly. "Ms. Grant, I'm sorry if I overstepped. She just made me so angry. No one should ever treat you like that, least of all your mother."

Cat sank into her chair. "It's fine," she said wearily.

"Ms. Grant, how can she see you like that? You are a dedicated, passionate, amazing woman, and instead she wants to belittle you to make herself feel better! How can she even say those things?" Kara was angry and frustrated, and she didn't understand how a mother could speak that way to her own daughter.

"Don't," Cat said softly. She paused for a moment, and then said, even more quietly, "She's not wrong."

"Not wrong? She's not wrong? She's completely and totally wrong! Ms. Grant, how can you–"

Cat cut Kara off before she could say anything further. "Please. Just leave me alone."

Kara stared at her, and for a second Cat thought the woman would refuse. Then she nodded sadly, and left the office.

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By the end of the work day, Cat was well into her stash of liquor. Kara had stopped by before leaving, as always, and Cat noticed the younger woman eyeing her glass of whiskey uneasily. She had no doubt that Kara knew it was her fourth of the afternoon. But when Cat dismissed her for the evening, Kara nodded reluctantly and left.

Some time later, Cat was onto her seventh glass of whiskey, and the world was beginning to seem slightly more bearable. When she saw Supergirl landing on her balcony, she stood unsteadily and wobbled outside. Supergirl caught her as she tripped over the rug, and carried her to the outdoor sofa.

"Supergirl. You picked a hell of a night to visit. Will you drink with me?" Cat asked, lifting the glass of whiskey that she had managed to hold onto when she stumbled.

I'm sorry to say that alcohol has no effect on me," the superhero admitted. "And I can't stand the taste."

"Well, that's certainly a shame. How on earth do you cope with anything?" Cat giggled slightly at her earth reference.

The superhero sighed and sat down next to Cat. "So, Ms. Grant, what happened to make you drown your sorrows tonight?"

"My mother came to visit, Supergirl. She is quite the charmer. My assistant finally snapped and sent her away when she called me a slut."

Supergirl looked disgusted and horrified. She hadn't even had to fake that reaction – hearing Cat say it out loud reminded her of how upset she was when she'd heard it the first time. "Why would any mother say that?"

"Apparently I've been a regular feature in the tabloids, with lots of different men and women."

"So? You're not married. It's not her life. You're free to do whatever you want." The superhero looked at Cat. "Why is she so upset about that?"

Cat rolled her eyes. "She wants me to be more concerned with my image, and settle down with a nice man."

"And that's not something you want right now?"

"Well, sure, I mean, who doesn't – or a nice woman, whichever. But she's the last one who should be telling me who to date. Considering her track record." Cat realized she was sharing more than she wanted to, so she stopped talking and took a long drink.

"Why is that, Ms. Grant?" Supergirl asked quietly. She knew, from what she'd heard earlier today, that something had happened with one of her mother's boyfriends. She felt sick at the thought of what she assumed Cat had been referencing, and even more ill at her mother's response to the situation. But Supergirl wouldn't have known any of that. She would need to hear it from Cat, if the woman wanted to tell her.

"She didn't exactly have the greatest taste in men, when I was growing up," Cat responded. "Some real winners."

"What was so bad about them?" the hero asked softly. She was trying her hardest to stay out of the way and let Cat talk.

Cat laughed bitterly. "One guy was more attracted to teenage girls than my mom."

"You mean he was attracted to you?" Supergirl asked gently.

Cat downed the rest of her drink. "Told me it was my fault for wearing slutty clothing around the house. That he couldn't help himself."

She stood up to get another drink, and nearly fell flat on her face before Supergirl caught her.

"I'll get it," the Kryptonian said. "You stay here." She started to reach for the whiskey, and then changed her mind and filled the glass with water. Cat had clearly had more than enough.

She brought the glass back and handed it to Cat. Cat took a sip, and then scowled. "This isn't whiskey."

"No," Supergirl admitted. "I'm pretty sure you've had enough whiskey tonight." She sat back down, and took Cat's hand. "Ms. Grant, you don't have to answer this question unless you want to, okay? That's completely up to you. But I'm going to ask because I think maybe you want to talk about it. What did he do to you?"

Cat laughed bitterly again. "Anything and everything he wanted. After that, how could it possibly matter what I do now?"

"And your mother just… let this happen?" Supergirl was looking into Cat's eyes now, trying to show the older woman that she was here, and she cared tremendously.

"For a long time, I didn't tell her, for a lot of reasons." She shook her head. "When she finally found out, she broke up with him. And then she accused me of stealing her boyfriend."

Supergirl felt like screaming. How could anyone have done this to a thirteen-year-old girl? What in the hell was wrong with Katherine Grant? She wished that the woman was here right now, so she could tell her a thing or two. But right now, she needed to focus on Cat. She needed to let Cat know that she wasn't going anywhere, and that she could handle whatever the older woman wanted to tell her.

"So she brought a man into her house who abused her daughter, and then she blamed her daughter? How can anyone do that? That is beyond messed up. I'm so sorry. Cat, she doesn't deserve you." The hero sighed. "You know that none of this was your fault, right?"

"What does it matter whose fault it was? I'm the fucked-up one."

"No, Ms. Grant. You're not. You're in pain, you've been hurt in ways that no one should ever have to experience, and you're feeling scared and vulnerable. But you're still the most amazing, kind, powerful, beautiful and wonderful person that I know." She smiled. "Would you like me to go beat your mother up for you? It would be my pleasure."

Cat smiled weakly. "No, but thank you for the offer. I'll keep it in mind." She sighed. "I should probably call my driver and go home."

The superhero looked at her for a moment, and then said, "Would you like a ride? I can get you there much faster." The Kryptonian knew this was a completely terrible idea. Allowing herself to touch Cat Grant was simply asking for trouble. But she was nervous about Cat making it home on her own, even with a driver. The woman could barely stand up.

"Oh, it's okay, Supergirl. I can manage on my own." Cat tried to stand up again, and immediately fell back down onto the couch.

"Okay, that's it." She scooped Cat into her arms, bridal style. "I'm taking you home. Do you need anything?"

"Just my purse," Cat said reluctantly. Still holding Cat in her arms, the superhero swooped into Cat's office and allowed Cat to grab her purse off the desk. Then they headed for Cat's apartment.

When they reached Cat's balcony, Supergirl opened the door and dropped her on the bed. She released her arms, and started to pull backward, but Cat kept her own arms wrapped around the superhero's neck. She leaned forward to kiss Supergirl. The hero quickly extracted her neck and backed away before Cat's lips could touch her own. "Ms. Grant, as much as I would love to… go through with that, you're drunk. Very drunk. We can't do this right now." The superhero sighed. She wanted nothing more than to accept Cat's advances, but she couldn't take advantage of someone so obviously impaired.

Supergirl stood up. "Can I get you anything before you go to bed? Help you brush your teeth? A glass of water?"

"I'm fine, Supergirl," Cat said, irritated that her advance had been rebuffed. "Go home."

"Ms. Grant…" She had to do something to make the older woman understand this wasn't a rejection. "Can I stay here with you, while you fall asleep? Maybe hold you? If that's okay with you. I just don't really want to leave you right now."

Cat looked at her through bleary eyes. She couldn't figure out what the superhero wanted. A minute ago, her kiss had been rejected. And now the hero wanted to hold her? Still, that sounded nice. She patted the spot next to her on the bed. Supergirl lay on top of the covers, put her arms around Cat, and pulled the woman toward her. Cat sank into the embrace and quickly fell asleep.

Kara lay there for over an hour, just watching Cat sleep. She was happy to see that no nightmares were disturbing the woman so far tonight. She groaned when her phone rang, but slipped out from underneath Cat to answer it on the balcony. "What's up?"

"Supergirl," her sister said, "we need your help. A group of Kryptonians broke into the National City Treasury Building."

Kara sighed. "On my way."


	5. Chapter 5

Cat was disappointed, though not surprised, to wake up alone in her bed. After all, she was the Queen of One-Night Stands. But this time, she hadn't even had sex. She frowned, trying to remember exactly what had happened, and had vague recollections of trying to kiss Supergirl, and getting turned down, with the hero saying something about how this couldn't happen, and that Cat was drunk. And yet, the last thing she remembered was being in the Kryptonian's arms as she fell asleep.

Head pounding, she dragged herself into the kitchen to make some coffee, and then got ready for work. She remembered having a long conversation with Supergirl on her office balcony about her mother, and her mother's boyfriend. Oh God. No wonder Supergirl hadn't wanted to kiss her. She'd probably been disgusted by Cat's revelations. Why wouldn't she be? Cat tried to reconcile that with the fact that Kara had held her as she fell asleep.

She frowned. Kara? She was confusing her bumbling assistant with the graceful superhero. She knew they were two different people. Right? She was probably just still drunk. She'd had a lot of whiskey last night.

On the morning news, she saw the reports of Supergirl's heroics in defending the National City Treasury, and realized that the hero had been called away to help. That made her feel a little bit better about being left alone – it hadn't been Supergirl's choice to leave. She wished the superhero had come back, but she understood that Supergirl probably hadn't wanted to enter unannounced in the middle of the night. She felt a tangible sense of relief at the fact that the Kryptonian hadn't just wanted to escape as soon as possible.

When she got to work, she was greeted by her smiling assistant and a hot latte. She remembered Kara's defense of her yesterday, and her promise to Supergirl that she would try to let the girl in. After she rattled off a series of demands, with Kara jotting them down on her tablet, Cat paused for a moment. Then she said hesitantly, "Kara, I wanted to thank you for what you said to my mother yesterday."

Kara was shocked. Cat had used her real name. And Cat had actually acknowledged that she appreciated Kara's efforts. "Ms. Grant," she began, "she doesn't have the right to speak to you like that. No one does. She made me so angry. I'm sorry I got upset, but I'm not at all sorry that I yelled at her."

Cat sighed. "Kara, I haven't always been the greatest daughter. When I was a teenager, some things happened that I regret deeply."

"Ms. Grant, I don't care what happened when you were a child. No mother should ever call her daughter a… a slut. And you – you are the most amazing, accomplished, beautiful, strong, and confident woman that I know. I am always going to fight for you, and I will always hate her for what she said."

Cat smiled warmly at the girl. She was naïve, but she clearly meant well. And she had stood up for Cat, and that meant a lot to the older woman. "Thank you for defending me."

"Always, Ms. Grant," Kara said sincerely.

"Now," Cat said, "we both have some work to do."

Kara nodded. This conversation had been difficult for Cat, she knew, but she was happy that the woman was making an effort to connect with her. She would let it rest for now. She headed to her desk and got to work.

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That evening, in what was becoming a regular occurrence, Supergirl stopped by to visit with Cat. This time, she met the media mogul on her bedroom balcony, having been busy until late in the evening dealing with criminals. She nodded in greeting, and then asked, "Are you doing any better tonight, Ms. Grant?"

"Don't worry, Supergirl; I'm not drunk tonight."

"Ms. Grant, I'm actually just here to ask how you're doing," the Kryptonian said sincerely. "I didn't want to leave you last night. I was glad I could be here for a little while, but I hated to leave."

"Well," said Cat, "you have responsibilities to people other than me."

Supergirl nodded reluctantly. "I would rather have stayed, though," she said softly.

Something about the tone in her voice made Cat look up, and the tenderness she saw in the hero's eyes made her heart skip a beat. She tried to cover up her own hopefulness by apologizing. "Supergirl, I'm sorry for trying to kiss you last night."

Supergirl shook her head. "You were drunk. I couldn't allow that to happen."

"No, I understand," Cat said sadly. "I was too far gone to realize how far out my league you are."

"Out of your league? Is that a joke? You are the most beautiful, glamorous, strong, and amazing woman I know, and anyone in the world would want to kiss you. But you were also drunk, and I couldn't allow you to make that kind of mistake when you weren't capable of making a rational decision. I wanted our first kiss–" The hero stopped suddenly and blushed, realizing what she was saying.

But Cat had heard enough. She took several steps forward, and pulled the hero's mouth toward her own, kissing her gently. Their lips touched, and it was everything that both of them had ever imagined. Cat put her arms around the superhero, deepening the kiss, and the Kryptonian couldn't stop herself from responding.

After a few seconds, Supergirl pulled herself together and backed away. "Wait, Ms. Grant. I… I need to tell you something first, and I need you to promise me you'll hear me out. I can't let you do this without knowing the truth. Please."

Cat studied the superhero nervously. "What is it you need to tell me?"

Just then, the hero's phone buzzed. Supergirl glanced at Cat apologetically, gesturing toward the phone in her hand. She answered it with a reluctant, "Yeah?"

Cat watched her face turn grim, and she quickly responded, "I'll be there as soon as I can." The superhero turned to Cat. "I'm sorry – I have to go."

Cat nodded in understanding. "It's okay."

The hero said softly, "Can I come back, if it's not too late? Not… I mean, I just want to finish our conversation. And maybe hold you while you fall asleep, if that's okay."

Cat smiled and touched the Kryptonian's cheek. "I'd like that, Supergirl."

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Supergirl hadn't returned last night. Cat was disappointed, but she understood that the superhero was busy, and she didn't take it personally. She wondered what the superhero had wanted to tell her, and why she had looked so conflicted.

On her way to CatCo, the media mogul glanced at her tablet to catch up on the latest news, and saw the alarming caption: "Supergirl Injured." She read on, and discovered why Supergirl had left in the middle of the night. She'd been needed to defend the city against the same group of Kryptonians who had attacked the National City Treasury Building the night before. Apparently, the superhero, along with a handful of government agents, had been asked to fend off six Kryptonian enemies as they tried again, this time attacking a bank. Cat frowned, not liking the sound of those odds. Supergirl had singlehandedly taken on two Kryptonians. After delivering some particularly vicious punches, as well as a blast of heat vision, the hero sank to the ground in exhaustion, just in time to be hit over the back of the head with a pipe. Reporters were concerned with the blood gushing out of her head, as well as the fact that she did not regain consciousness before being taken away in a black van. They were asking whether this might be the end of the superhero.

Cat refused to believe that could be possible. Supergirl would recover. She always did. They would just have to wait for her to heal. She frowned at the thought of blood gushing out of the hero's head. How was that even possible? Superheroes didn't bleed.

She stepped out of the elevator on the thirty-eighth floor, and was surprised not to see her assistant waiting with a piping-hot latte. She frowned. "Where is Kiera?"

That IT guy – Wyatt? – immediately began stammering something about how Kara was sick, and wouldn't be in today. She frowned. Kara didn't take sick days. Something must be very wrong, and she didn't like the thought of that. She also didn't appreciate the thought that she might actually care whether or not Kara was okay. And more importantly, why was Kara sick at the same time Supergirl was badly injured? She knew they were two different women. Why did they have to keep throwing these coincidences in her face?

She frowned, feeling unsettled. "Whip, tell Kiera that if she doesn't show up by the end of the day, she shouldn't bother to come back tomorrow." She would not stand for this. She would not be reduced to worrying about her assistant, and she would not be fooled into thinking that Kara and Supergirl were the same person again. She marched into her office, feeling only slightly guilty about her overreaction.

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Kara had a headache. Except that 'ache' didn't seem nearly sufficient to describe the creature that was currently marching through Kara's head banging a hammer continuously. The doctors were telling her she had a concussion, which was only possible because she'd blown out her powers. Alex was currently trying to instruct her to stay home from work for the next few days, at least until her powers returned so that her body could heal.

"No way, Alex. Cat's probably already freaking out that I'm not there." She wasn't going to tell Alex that she also needed to know how Cat was doing, and how she would respond to last night's events. She was worried that the older woman thought she hadn't wanted to come back. Hopefully the news coverage would have cleared up that misconception, but Kara was determined to return as Supergirl as soon as possible, to provide reassurance that she hadn't abandoned the woman. "There's no way I can work today, but maybe by tomorrow my headache will be better."

Just then, her phone chimed with another text. "Kara," Alex said wearily, "that thing has been going off all morning. Does Cat not understand that your contract entitles you to sick days?"

Kara's eyes widened at the thought she'd been ignoring her boss for hours. She grabbed her phone and quickly realized that things were worse than she'd thought. "Alex, Winn says she's going to fire me if I'm not there by the end of the day. I have to go."

"Oh no you don't," Alex responded. "There is no way in hell that you're working today."

"Alex, please. Just for a couple of hours. She's going to fire me!" Kara begged. At the sight of those pleading eyes, Alex knew she couldn't hold up very long. She had to salvage what she could from this situation, and move on.

"Kara, I'll give you two hours. I'll drop you off at three, and you're leaving by five."

"Alex, you know I never leave at five. Six, at least."

"You get two hours, Kara. Which is it?"

Kara sighed. "Fine. Three to five."


	6. Chapter 6

Kara slunk into the office just after three p.m., with her head still pounding and her whole body aching. She could do this. It was only two hours.

"Kiera! I see you decided to join us today."

The piercing voice almost made her double over in pain, but she swallowed nervously and walked over to Cat's office. "I'm sorry, Ms. Grant. I've been sick."

"So I heard. Excuses are for losers, Kiera. You have to fight through the pain."

Kara forced herself not to react to the pain in her head. "Yes, Ms. Grant."

"Now go collect the layouts from Local, Features, and Opinion. They should be ready to go. Then I'm going to need a lettuce wrap and a latte. I haven't had anything to eat today. And Kiera, I will require a manicure and a massage tomorrow, before my appearance on television. Get that Sylvia woman for the manicure, and Paul the masseuse." Kara made notes to schedule appointments with Sarah and Phillip, and nodded. "And I need you to call Steven Miller from the Daily Planet, and explain to him the difference between satire…"

Kara tried hard to concentrate on the words, but they were no longer making sense in her head. Staring at her tablet made her wince, as if her eyes couldn't handle the brightness, and she saw her vision swirling. The next thing she knew, she was lying with her face smashed into the carpet, her nose aching, and a hand shaking her earnestly. "Kara? Are you okay?"

She tried to lift her head, and felt overcome by nausea and dizziness. She slumped her head back down into the rug. "No, it's all right, Kara. Don't get up. Just stay there. I'll have someone come and help you." Cat looked out into the bullpen. "Witt! Get in here."

When Winn entered her office, he gasped at the sight of his friend sprawled on the ground. "Kara!"

"Yes, yes, she'll be fine. Can you please help her onto the couch?"

As he started to lift Kara, she said weakly, "Wait." He paused, and she continued, "I feel sick. Can you bring me a trash can or something?"

He rushed over with a trash can, and she lifted her head and vomited into the bin. Winn knelt next to her, rubbing her back as she expelled the last of the contents of her stomach. She was alarmed to see blood mixed in with the vomit, and hoped it was just her nose that was bleeding from the fall.

At the first sounds of vomiting, Cat had paled, and then rushed into the bathroom to grab some wet washcloths and a glass of water. As Kara pulled herself up to a sitting position, Cat overcame her fear of germs enough to kneel down and carefully wipe the young woman's face, cleaning the blood from her nose. She left the glass of water next to Kara, in case her assistant needed it.

Cat remained kneeling next to Kara as Winn dragged away the trash can. "Kara," said Cat softly, "why didn't you tell me you were so sick?"

Kara just stared at her boss in astonishment. Winn, however, was not feeling so polite. "You said you'd fire her if she didn't come in today!" he reminded her.

"Well yes, but I didn't…" Cat sighed. She had said that, and basically given Kara no other choice. Kara's predicament was her fault, because she had forced the woman to come to work. This was a new low, even for her. She owed the girl an apology, but Cat Grant didn't do apologies. "We need to get you to a hospital. You're obviously quite ill. You fainted, and you vomited blood."

"I'm fine," Kara said weakly.

"She just needs to go home and rest," Winn volunteered.

"Nonsense. I'm calling an ambulance right now. I made a mistake, asking her to come in. I will not be the reason that Kara doesn't get the treatment she needs."

"No!" said Winn and Kara simultaneously. A hospital would not be a good idea for an alien. Kara's cover would be blown immediately. Kara continued, "Please, just call my sister, Alex. She always knows what to do for me."

"We can call both Alex and the ambulance. You're going to a hospital."

"Ms. Grant," said Lucy from the doorway, "you can't do that." She and James were standing there, having been alerted to the commotion after Kara fainted in Cat's office.

"Why the hell not?" Cat said indignantly.

"Alex is already on her way. They'll take it from here."

"Nobody comes into my building and tells me what to do," Cat argued. "Kara is my employee, and I insist that we take care of her." She ignored the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew exactly why they were objecting, and she refused to believe it. She had seen Kara and Supergirl with her own eyes! She was not wrong about this. Because if she was… she didn't want to think about what that meant.

She picked up the phone to dial 911 herself when she saw two agents, dressed all in black, stride into the room. "Alex!" she heard Kara say, with her voice verging on tears. "I'm so sorry."

Alex grabbed Kara in a hug, squeezing her tightly and rubbing her back. "I know, Kara. I know. It'll be okay." The agent looked up, making eye contact with Kara's boss, and gave her the deadliest glare that Cat had ever seen. She turned back to Kara, and her features softened. "Let's get you home, okay?"

Cat was not ready to give up the fight quite yet. "She is not going home. She needs medical treatment, and I will insist that she gets it."

"You've done quite enough already!" the male agent growled. "Leave her alone."

Cat sighed and held up her hands in mock surrender, backing away from Kara. She finally relented, accepting the truth that she'd tried so hard to avoid. The two agents took Kara away. As they left, along with Winn, James, and Lucy, Cat sank into her chair. What had she done?

It all made sense now, in a way that she hadn't wanted to admit. The sudden disappearances. The visits by Supergirl when she needed them most. Kara's rescue at the club. The identical facial features. Everything except that moment when she'd seen the two of them together, but obviously that had been planned to throw her off the scent.

Kara had lied to her about who she was. The woman had been living a lie since the first day she arrived. And far worse than that, Cat had told Kara Danvers a lot of very personal details about her past. She'd talked about how much she'd hurt her assistant… with her assistant. She'd even kissed Kara Danvers! She'd kissed her own employee!

She tried not to think about the comfort she'd felt in Kara's arms, and about the looks Kara had given her, filled with tenderness and caring. And she tried not to think about how she had nearly exposed Kara Danvers by putting her own selfish needs above those of a superhero.

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Cat worked well into the evening. She felt unable to cope with anything, and tried desperately to distract herself by working. Cat was attempting to focus on article about fall fashions when she heard a knock at her door. She looked up to see Lucy Lane, standing reluctantly in the doorway. "Ms. Grant, can I come in?"

Cat silently gestured the woman in, although she clearly wasn't excited about the chance to talk about what had happened. "Baby Lane. Nice of you to drop by."

Lucy ignored the greeting. "The agents who were here earlier – they wanted to take you in, and debrief you. Have you sign some non-disclosure agreements; that sort of thing. Kara wouldn't hear of it, though. She said that she trusted you, and you deserved the benefit of the doubt, and it was your right to publish whatever you wanted. After the way you treated her today, I'm really not sure why. I think you already knew who she was, and you pushed her to go to a hospital because you wanted to verify that she was Supergirl. You made it impossible for her to hide her secret anymore. It was a cruel way to get the information you wanted, and it devastated her." She paced the floor of Cat's office. "Kara doesn't know I'm here, but I needed to come. I needed to know what you were thinking, and what you're going to reveal. I want to make sure she's safe."

"Lucy, I'm not that much of a heartless bitch. I know better than to reveal her identity and ruin her life. Maybe if she'd trusted me in the first place, this would never have happened."

"Ms. Grant, you threatened to fire her! Why do you think she was so desperate to keep her secret from you?"

"Oh, please, she was denying it even before that," Cat scoffed, swallowing the guilt she felt at her own actions. "And now that she had finally convinced me, she goes and ruins things by throwing up in my office."

Lucy shook her head. "You do realize you forced her to come in today so that she wouldn't be fired, right? Or did you forget that part?"

"Lucy, I trusted her! Supergirl tricked me into saying things to her… things that she has no business knowing. She didn't once tell me that it was my assistant I was talking to."

Lucy sighed. At least now they were getting to the root of the problem. Cat must have confided some things in Supergirl, and now she was ashamed. That's why she had worked so hard to pretend that Kara wasn't Supergirl. That's why she had demanded that Kara prove it again. Lucy wondered what had been said, but she knew she wasn't going to find out. Cat was done sharing her personal feelings with anyone. So Lucy would do what she could to make Cat understand how Kara felt about her.

Lucy began to speak softly and deliberately. "Do you know why Kara came to work here, Ms. Grant? She idolizes you. You are her personal hero, and she wanted to learn everything she could from the most important woman in National City. And you should know that her feelings about you haven't changed in the slightest. She admires you tremendously, and she would do anything for you. Whatever secrets Kara knows, she will keep them. You can trust her."

"How can I trust her, when she's been lying to me since the day she met me?"

"Please, Ms. Grant. You know why she had to do that. You understand how dangerous it is for anyone to know her secret. You may hate her right now, and you may never trust her again. But please, try to be there for her. She needs you."

Cat had no response to Lucy's pleas. She didn't know how she could possibly handle seeing Kara Danvers after this.


	7. Chapter 7

Kara took another sick day on Thursday. This time, Cat did not make any threats. She simply pretended that her assistant didn't even exist. It was challenging, functioning without her supremely organized assistant, but she managed. Her employees bore the brunt of her frustration. By the end of the day, people Winn didn't even know were asking when Kara would be back.

By Friday morning, the entire company was relieved to see Kara back at her desk. Everyone except Cat Grant, that is. When Kara tried to hand Cat her morning latte, Cat hesitated, and then made a snide comment. "Did you disinfect this first, or is it covered in your germs?"

Kara flushed with embarrassment, and then assured her boss that the latte was germ-free. She could see how things were going to go today – Cat was hurt and angry, and she was going to take her feelings out on her assistant. Worse, Kara knew she deserved every bit of it, and more.

She needed to make an effort to talk with her boss, as soon as possible. She needed to try to explain, and hope that Cat could forgive her for the deception. But that would have to wait until they were in the privacy of Cat's office.

As Kara followed Cat into the older woman's office, she closed the door. Noting Cat's raised eyebrow, Kara quickly began to talk. "Ms. Grant, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you the truth. I wanted to, so badly, but I was–"

"You were what, Kiera? Afraid I'd ruin your life? I get it. You didn't trust me, and you conned me into telling you things that I never would have told my assistant."

"No, Ms. Grant!" Kara protested. "That's not it at all! I was afraid I'd put you in danger. I hated lying to you! And when we…" She flushed. "Last night, I was going to tell you. I couldn't let things happen without telling you the truth first. But then my phone rang–"

"Yes, well, life doesn't always go the way we want it to. Now, if it's not too overwhelming for you, Kiera, I'd like to get some work done for a change." Cat was in no mood to hear excuses, or to believe Kara's pathetic attempts to make amends. She was done with this conversation. The media mogul began to list the things that Kara needed to handle for her, a list that had grown exponentially since Kara left on Wednesday. The young woman nodded sadly and left the office to start attacking the items on her list.

By mid-morning, Kara was feeling marginally better about the list of unfinished items, and thoroughly miserable about the status of her relationship with Cat. Her boss was making a point to berate her at every opportunity, insulting everything from her clothing to her organizational skills to her penmanship ("Really, Kiera, did a six-year-old write this?"), and Kara was sick of forcing herself not to react to the comments. She was relieved when a call came in asking for Supergirl's help. Her powers had returned, and she was thrilled to be able to help someone today.

Kara headed downtown to help contain a fire, and was alarmed to see a building almost completely engulfed by flames. She fought her way through the blaze, searching for people to evacuate, and pulled out as many as she could find. Some were conscious, screaming in fear and agony, while others did not respond at all. When she'd finished rescuing people, Kara helped to extinguish the fire by using her freeze-breath. By the time she was done, and sank to the ground in grief and exhaustion, news reports were summarizing the carnage. All told, there were twenty-two people injured and six dead. Kara stared in horror at the looks of devastation on the faces of those who had lost loved ones. She'd tried her hardest, but she just couldn't save everyone. It was a tough thing for her to accept, and the awful day she'd been having made it much, much worse. She took a few moments to compose herself, and then headed back to CatCo.

When Kara stepped back into the bullpen, Cat was waiting for her. "Kiera!" she shouted.

"Yes, Ms. Grant?" Kara responded, stepping into the office.

"While you were gone, there was no one here to answer the phones. If you can't perform your duties as assistant, then perhaps you should step aside and let someone else do the job."

Kara's face fell. This was her biggest worry – that her time as Supergirl would take her away from the responsibilities that she needed to fulfill. "I'm sorry, Ms. Grant," she whispered. "I'll do better next time."

Cat knew she needed to stop taking her anger out on Kara. She was upset, sure; but she had taken this far enough. She knew that Kara had tried to talk with her last night, and only the phone call had stopped her from admitting the truth. She also knew the young woman had reached her breaking point.

In truth, Kara didn't deserve the awful things that Cat was saying. Kara had deceived her, but only because she had to – it was a risk for her to tell anyone her true identity, and Cat knew she hadn't been the most trustworthy candidate. Kara's only real crime had been caring too much about the older woman, and trying to help Cat feel less alone.

But Cat had shared too many personal details with her sweet, naïve assistant. She knew that Kara looked up to her, and she hated the idea of the younger woman being forced to comfort her. She had trusted Kara, and Supergirl, and had let her guard down. They had kissed! She couldn't help herself. She just felt so exposed, and so frustrated, that she needed to lash out at someone. Kara, unfortunately, was the easiest target. She said quietly, "It would be one thing if you were out saving people and being a hero, but you couldn't even do that, could you, Kiera? You let those people die today, and you let me down as well. Clearly, you can't handle all of these responsibilities. So which is it, Kiera? Are you going to be an assistant, or a superhero?"

Kara recoiled, flinching backward as if she'd been punched, and her shoulders sank at the dim view of her efforts. She'd been holding herself together all day, but Cat had preyed upon her own insecurities. She had known the risks of becoming Supergirl, and she had accepted that she would have to make sacrifices. It was time that she acknowledged her own shortcomings. And today… Cat had made it clear that playing both roles wasn't working, and she wouldn't stand for it.

She looked at Cat, holding back the tears that she knew would fall, and spoke quietly. "I took this job to be close to you, and work with the woman I admired most in the whole world. It was my dream. But you're right: it was selfish of me to want both. I can't be a hero and an assistant. You told me that weeks ago, but I couldn't accept it. But now it's clear. You deserve a better assistant, and the city deserves a better effort from me. I need to choose." She took a deep breath, and the tears started to fall. "I'm sorry I let you down, Ms. Grant, but it won't happen again. I quit."

Kara spun around quickly, hoping to make it to the elevator before she fell apart. She rushed toward the elevator doors, and managed to sink to the ground inside the elevator before falling apart completely.

Cat lowered her head into her hands. What the hell was wrong with her? How could she have been so cruel? To throw the deaths of those victims in Kara's face – that was perhaps the lowest she'd ever sunk. And what was she hoping to accomplish? She could see from the look on Kara's face that the woman was devastated by her words, and that she'd seen quitting as her only option. Kara had been a hero, like she always was, and the fact that she hadn't saved everyone didn't make that evaluation any less true. Cat's cruel words had just been a way to throw the hero's own insecurities in her face, and hurt her tremendously.

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Cat was working in her office, alone on Friday night, since Carter was back with his father for the weekend. When she heard the knock on her office door, she knew it would be Lucy before she even looked up. "I'm busy, Lane," she growled, unwilling to talk with the lawyer again tonight.

Lucy ignored the rejection and stepped into the office anyway. "Kara quit," she said flatly. "What brought that on?"

"She didn't tell you all the hurtful things I said?" Cat responded.

Lucy sighed. "She won't tell anyone anything. Alex has been trying to call her all afternoon, and she's not even answering her phone. The only reason we even know she quit is because Winn heard about it."

"Well, I'm sure she'll get over it. She's heard me say awful things to her before."

"What, exactly, did you say, Ms. Grant?"

Cat sighed. Kara's friends should probably know, because she was going to need their support. She spoke softly, wishing she could somehow take back the words. "I told her that while she was off being Supergirl, no one was here to do her job as my assistant. And then I reminded her that she didn't do her job as a hero either. She let people die today, and she let me down as well."

Lucy gasped. She didn't say anything at first, and Cat continued to stare at the floor in misery. Eventually she guessed, "So she felt she had to quit to be Supergirl full-time?

Cat nodded silently.

Lucy closed her eyes for a moment. "This is not you, Ms. Grant. You can be cutting, and harsh, but you're not cruel. And throwing those deaths in her face – that was cruel. What happened between the two of you? I know that she didn't tell you she was Supergirl, but it seems like it's more than that. Why are you so angry with her?"

Cat stiffened. "I don't see how that's any of your business, Lucy."

"Right now, I'm a hell of a lot more concerned with Kara's well-being than with any invasion of your privacy," Lucy retorted.

Cat nodded sadly. Lucy could be trusted, and she wanted to unburden herself. Maybe it was time for her to be honest with someone. She began talking. "Lucy, I was drunk the other night, and told Supergirl some things about my past, things that no one knows. I didn't know it was Kara. I never would have told Kara about my past." She took a deep breath, and continued. "And then, Tuesday night, I kissed Supergirl. God, I never would have done that if I'd known who she was."

It all made so much more sense now. Lucy nodded. "So you felt like she betrayed your trust by not telling you who she was, and you felt guilty that you'd kissed your employee. Except, you didn't know she was your employee." Lucy looked at her closely. "How did Kara respond?"

She shook her head. "After a couple of seconds, she stopped me, and said she needed to tell me something before anything happened between us, but then she got a phone call and had to leave."

"So she was going to tell you who she was," Lucy concluded. "Which means she couldn't stand keeping the secret from you anymore, because she hates the idea of telling anyone and putting them in danger. It must have been killing her not to tell you."

"She lied to me, Lucy! All this time, she's been lying to me."

Lucy said quietly, "Can you blame her? Can you imagine how she would've felt if knowing her secret put you in danger? She had obviously decided that your safety was more important than her happiness. And if she changed her mind about that, it must have taken a powerful reason." She looked at Cat speculatively. "My guess? She wanted to kiss you back."

Cat sank her head into her hands. She knew that Lucy was right. She had acted rashly, and she had been cruel to a woman who deserved better from her. "Lucy, I hurt her so badly. Why did I say such awful things?"

"You were angry and embarrassed, Cat. But you know Kara; she's always willing to forgive people. Go talk to her."


	8. Chapter 8

Kara had been flying around for hours, hoping to clear her head. She tried not to dwell on what Cat had said to her, and wished she could forget the looks of anguish and devastation on victims of the fire. She patrolled the city, trying to keep herself busy and hoping she could keep anyone else from dying today. She stopped a few muggings and traffic accidents, and helped an old lady cross the street safely.

She had quit her job. What would she do now? How could she even pay her bills? She supposed she would have to work at the DEO full-time, but she and the government agency didn't always see eye-to-eye. Still, if she was going to be a superhero, perhaps she needed to commit to more than just the minutes she could spare, and the times she could sneak away from her day job. She had thought she could make it work, but Cat clearly disagreed. Maybe there was another job she could do, one that would take less time away from Supergirl. She shook her head, not wanting to think about another job. Despite how difficult Cat Grant could be sometimes, she had loved working at CatCo.

Just after 7 p.m., she received a text from Alex, alerting her to an alien presence on the outskirts of the city. She had been ignoring Alex's calls all afternoon, not wanting to talk with anyone about what had happened with Cat. But when she saw that text, she headed toward the location of the alien, determined to help.

When she got there, Kara immediately spotted the results of the creature's destructive actions – overturned vehicles, smashed windows, and terrified bystanders. She wasn't sure what had provoked the alien, but she knew it needed to be stopped. She swooped in, and set herself down in front of the creature.

The alien's features were a cross between human and insect characteristics. Its huge wings looked like those of a super-sized fly, and his small head and bug eyes were anything but human. When he opened his mouth, his jaws expanded further than any human's, giving his face a terrifying appearance. He bared his fangs at the superhero, who shuddered at the sight.

Supergirl headed toward him, and he swiveled his body and snarled at her. As she tackled him, he latched onto her with his mouth, sharp teeth breaking the bulletproof skin of her neck. She ignored the pain and held on, securing him and taking off to drop him at the DEO.

She tied him up and left him for DEO agents, and then took off immediately, not wanting to stay and chat. She flew around for a while longer, but the bite marks on her neck were beginning to throb. After another hour or so, she returned to her apartment. She was relieved to see that the bite marks were fading, but she still didn't feel like herself. She wasn't ready to deal with dinner right now, so she stretched out on the couch to rest first, and promptly fell asleep.

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Cat stepped out of the car, shuddering at the looks of this neighborhood. Clearly, she needed to pay her assistant better, if this was the best that Kara could afford. She reminded herself that she was doing this for Kara. Her driver looked at her anxiously. "Would you like me to accompany you, Ms. Grant?"

Cat shook her head. If Kara could live here, then she could handle walking into the young woman's apartment building. She grabbed the bouquet of flowers that she'd brought as a peace offering, and headed up to the fifth floor. Of course Kara would live on the fifth floor, she thought. Cat wasn't going near that germ factory of an elevator. Stairs it was, then.

When she reached the door to Kara's apartment, she knocked, but received no answer. She tried a couple more times, hoping that Kara was just slow to respond, but to no avail. She sighed, and decided to wait for Kara to return. Kara would return eventually, and she owed the young woman an apology and a conversation. She texted her driver, telling him that she would likely be here for a while, and settled into a chair in the hallway.

An hour later, Cat was still waiting, and she was starting to get worried. She forced herself to stay calm, remembering that it was Friday night, so maybe Kara had just gone out with friends. She was still trying to convince herself of that when she saw Alex step out of the elevator.

Alex was shocked to see Cat Grant sitting in the hallway to Kara's apartment. What was Kara's boss doing here? The media mogul must have better things to do than hanging around this part of town, and Cat had been so mean to Kara today that her sister had finally quit. She didn't know exactly what had transpired, but she knew from Lucy that Cat had said some cruel things. At the sight of the bouquet of flowers in Cat's hands, she raised an eyebrow. So Cat had come to apologize.

As she lifted her hand to knock on Kara's door, she heard Cat's voice from behind her. "She's not home. Or she's not answering. I assume she's out."

Alex frowned, not liking the sound of that. Kara had no plans tonight, and she'd had a very upsetting day. Something about this situation made Alex uneasy. She grabbed the spare key from under the welcome mat, and opened the door. "Stay here," she said to Cat warningly, and entered the apartment.

Cat ignored her. There was no way she was waiting outside and letting someone else decide whether she was allowed to enter. She followed the agent inside. There, passed out on the couch, was Supergirl, still in full costume.

"Kara?" Alex said nervously. "Are you okay?" There was no response from the superhero. Alex glanced at the fading bite marks on her neck, and then shook her firmly. "Kara, wake up!" Still nothing. "Shit! Come on, Kara!"

There was a soft, mumbled response from the superhero. "Oh, thank God. Kara, what's wrong?" That time, there was nothing.

Alex pressed a button on her phone. "Hank? Yeah. Send a hawk to Kara's apartment. Something's wrong with her."

By this time, Cat had rushed to Kara's side, her own pride forgotten. "Kara? Please wake up. Kara, I need you. Please. I'm so sorry."

Alex glanced at the forgotten flowers that Cat had dropped on the floor, and stared at the woman. Why was she here? Lucy had told her the basics – Cat had said something to Kara about failing as both a hero and an assistant, and Kara had quit. That didn't fit at all with the woman who was currently acting as if she were desperate for Kara to wake up. Was that Cat's conscience talking, or something more? What was going on here?

She heard the helicopter arriving, and opened the window to allow Hank entrance. "We need to get her into treatment. That alien she captured bit her." She pointed to the bite mark on her neck. "Something in that bite must have poisoned her."

Hank nodded, and grabbed Supergirl into his arms. They brought Kara to the window to load her into the Blackhawk, but Cat was not about to be left behind. "Wait! I need to come with you." At Alex's scornful look, she said, "Please."

There was no way that Alex wanted Cat anywhere near Kara right now, after the things the older woman had said. But the pitiful tone of Cat's voice gave Alex pause. She could hear how important this was to the older woman, and how desperately she was trying to hold herself together. She knew how much Kara looked up to Cat, and wanted to give Kara's boss a chance to redeem herself. After a long look, she said, "You're not coming with us. You don't have the necessary clearance, and frankly, the Queen of All Media is the last person I'm bringing into a government facility. But I'm willing to keep you updated. Give me your number, and I'll call you when I know what's going on."

Cat nodded gratefully, and handed Alex a card with her number on it. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah," Alex said. "I'll contact you later tonight."

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An hour later, doctors had established that the alien's poison would work its way out of Kara's system within the next couple of hours, and that essentially it was acting like a sedative. She would simply need to sleep it off. They had placed her under the sun lamps to help her body recover more quickly, but they knew she would be fine by the end of the night. Alex could bring her home in the morning, once doctors had confirmed that there were no lasting effects.

Alex decided to go home for the night, and come back for Kara in the morning. There was no point in both sisters having lousy nights of sleep. She dialed Cat Grant's number, and asked if the woman minded a face-to-face update. After all, the woman's apartment was right on her way home. Alex was willing to tell Cat what she knew about Kara's condition, but she also wanted a chance to learn a little bit about the older woman, and make sure she wouldn't hurt Kara again.

Alex knocked on the door of Cat Grant's penthouse, and was greeted by the multi-millionaire herself, who quickly invited her to come in and sit down. Alex settled into a couch across from the older woman, and stared speculatively at Cat, trying to figure out what she was thinking. The agent had ignored her curiosity while dealing with Kara's medical situation, but she was dying to understand. "Ms. Grant…" She searched for a tactful way to start the conversation, and then gave up and asked bluntly, "Why do you care what happened to Kara?"

"Agent Danvers, Kara is my employee. I need to know she's okay."

It was a lie, and Alex didn't have the patience to let it slide. "First of all, she's not your employee anymore, and we both know it," the agent responded. "And secondly, if that was all there was to it, you wouldn't have begged to come along. What's really going on?"

Cat sighed. "I hurt her, badly, and I want a chance to apologize. I want her to come back to CatCo, but more importantly, I want her to know that what I said wasn't true." She paused for a moment, and then continued. "Kara deserves better than the way I treated her today. I'm hoping she'll give me a chance to make it up to her."

Alex looked at the older woman skeptically. "Ms. Grant, Kara thinks you walk on water. But from what I've seen, you can be manipulative and vindictive, and I imagine your words today hurt her tremendously. I hope that you're sincere about apologizing, for Kara's sake. But if I let you see her, and I see even the slightest hint that you're upsetting her, I will consider it my personal mission to make your life a living hell."

Cat had to respect this woman's passion, and got a sense that Alex had the ability and the determination to carry out her threat. But they were obviously on the same side, when it came to Kara. "Agent Danvers, if I hurt Kara again, I will have earned that treatment. That's not what I want either." She smiled wryly. "And if you're going to make threats like that, you might as well call me Cat."

In spite of herself, Alex smiled. "As long as we understand each other, Cat." She was starting to appreciate the older woman, and could see why Kara liked her, at least before today. Cat had rough edges, sure; but she was honest, passionate, and direct, qualities that Alex herself could appreciate. She sincerely hoped that Cat would follow through on her promise to make it up to Kara.

Alex assured the older woman that Kara would be fine, and that she would be able to go home in the morning. "If you want, you can come and visit after she gets home. But I'll warn you, I'm going to be there too. You'd better not hurt her."

Cat smiled. "She's lucky to have such a great sister. Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

Cat arrived at the door to Kara's apartment carrying a box of Noonan's pastries, including crullers and sticky buns, among other culinary delights. She'd had to call the IT guy at home to find out what Kara liked, but once he got past his stammering, he'd been a wealth of information. She hoped that the peace offering would help. She had a lot to make up for.

She knocked on the door, and after a moment, it was opened by Alex. Kara's sister glanced at her with some apprehension, but her look softened when she spotted the box of pastries. "Good move," she said, with a small smile. "I guess you know the way to Kara's heart." She stepped aside to let Cat enter.

Kara was sitting on the couch, but she leapt up when she spotted her former boss. "Ms.– Ms. Grant? What are you doing here?" Her eyes were wide, and she looked slightly panicked. She spotted the box of pastries, and her expression turned hopeful.

"Kara," Cat began, "I came here to apologize. I was awful to you yesterday, and you didn't deserve that." She held up the box of pastries. "I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some breakfast. According to your cardigan hobbit friend, you like crullers and sticky buns. I was hoping we could sit and talk for a while, maybe after you eat something."

Kara's eyes lit up at those words, and she rushed over as Cat placed the box on the table. Alex handed her a napkin as she grabbed a cruller. Alex and Cat glanced at each other, amused, as Kara attacked the box of pastries with gusto. "Mfff Grnf, thnnf ouu," Kara managed to say between bites.

Cat laughed. "You're welcome, Kara. Eat. We'll talk later."

Kara grinned and grabbed the rest of the pastries.

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Kara devoured the entire contents of the box. At one point, she stopped to offer pastries to the other two women, but was obviously relieved when both declined. Cat tried hard to hide a smile, while Alex grinned widely at Kara's enthusiasm. The two women chatted easily while Kara ate, and both women were surprised to realize that they were thoroughly enjoying the conversation. But when Kara was done eating, Cat led her to the couch, and Alex disappeared into the kitchen to at least give the women the illusion of privacy while they talked.

Cat took a deep breath. This was not going to be an easy conversation for her. When she felt vulnerable, Cat tended to rely upon wit, sarcasm, and cutting remarks to hide her own insecurities. Unfortunately, that was exactly what had caused the problem here, and she was going to have to stop herself from resorting to those tactics if she was to get anywhere with Kara.

"Kara," she began, "when you left on Wednesday, I was angry, embarrassed and hurt." Kara immediately started to say something, but Cat held up her hand. "No, Kara, please let me talk first, okay?" Kara nodded silently.

She continued, "I was so angry with you for hiding your secret from me. I know that I threatened your job, and I completely understand why you wouldn't trust me, but it was easier to be mad at you than to think about my own failings. I was embarrassed because I had told you some very personal things, and I put you in the inappropriate position of having to comfort me. And then I kissed you!"

There was a sudden crash from the kitchen, followed by a muttered curse. Cat rolled her eyes and continued. "I'm so sorry about that, Kara. I put you in an awful position, and I shouldn't have done that. Because there was a part of me that knew exactly who was wearing the cape, and I chose to ignore it."

She sighed. "So when you came in Friday morning, I was embarrassed, and I did what I always do when I feel vulnerable – I lashed out. I criticized everything about you, and I kept pushing you further and further, hoping you would react, until you finally snapped." She took Kara's hand. "Kara, I hope you know that I didn't mean any of it. You're an outstanding assistant, and you're an incredible superhero. I'm so sorry."

Kara stared at her for a moment, and Cat forced down her nervousness and remained silent. Eventually, Kara said, "I do trust you, Ms. Grant. That's not why I didn't tell you my secret. Everyone who knows my identity is in danger, and you have such a high profile that I couldn't afford to risk it. But I was going to tell you anyway, that night we kissed, before my phone rang. I knew that once you realized it was me, you were going to regret that kiss, and I couldn't let you go through with something you wouldn't want to have happened." She sighed. "I'm so sorry I misled you."

"Kara," Cat responded quietly, "I do regret that kiss, but not for the reasons you think." She took a deep breath. If she was going to be honest, she might as well go the extra mile. "You are a beautiful and fascinating woman, and completely out of my league. And you're my employee, so for me to kiss you – it's completely inappropriate."

Kara looked at Cat for a moment. It sounded like the older woman actually… wanted to kiss her? She said softly, "You know, I'm not actually your employee anymore." Then, in a move that surprised even her, she touched her lips to Cat's, and pulled the older woman in for a kiss. They wrapped their arms tightly around each other, and lost themselves in the kiss. Alex couldn't help herself. She stuck her head out of the kitchen to see what was happening, and her eyes opened wide at their passionate embrace.

Eventually, Cat pulled away. As much as she wanted this – as much as they both did – it couldn't happen. She was here to convince her assistant to return to CatCo, and she couldn't have a relationship with her employee. "Kara," she said reluctantly, "I know you're not my employee right now, but I came here to ask you to please come back. What I said to you was completely unfair, and I hope you'll forgive me. Kara, I need you."

"Me?" Kara responded in disbelief. "You don't need me. I'm just your assistant."

"You're the best assistant I've ever had, and the only one I've trusted to do most of the things I have you doing. You're much more than an assistant to me. And I know that you have other responsibilities during the day sometimes, but we can work that out. I want to make it work."

"Are you– Are you sure?"

"Kara, have you ever known me not to be sure about anything?" Cat said, smiling.

"Okay," Kara said, relief evident in her features. She was going back to CatCo. This was everything she wanted… well, almost everything. "But I have one condition."

"You're making demands now?" Cat asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just one. Ms. Grant, there's no rule against the two of us having a relationship, as long as we disclose it. Can we… I want to figure out what this is between us."

"Kara," Cat said, "I'm not dating my assistant. I will not become a walking cliché, and I won't do that to your career."

"No one else would have to know," Alex said, suddenly appearing in the doorway. At Cat's roll of the eyes, she grinned. "Look, there's obviously something between the two of you, and you can't just work side-by-side every day and continue to ignore it. Spend some time together; just be friends or whatever. But figure out how you feel, and take it from there."

Kara said thoughtfully, "I could handle being just friends for a while, if we were actually friends. Like spending time together outside of work and stuff. I don't need the rest of it. I just want to get to know you better. I want to give us a chance, and see where it goes. I can always quit again if things work out." She smiled weakly.

Cat sighed, knowing that this was a bad idea, but also knowing that it was something she badly wanted. "Just as friends?" she asked, to make sure that they were clear about the terms.

"For now," Kara agreed. "Maybe we can talk about it again in a couple of weeks, see where we are?"

Cat reluctantly nodded, and then smiled. "You have the world's most obnoxious sister; you know that, right?"

Alex grinned. "You know you love me."

"I actually do like you, Alex. I think we're a lot alike. That's the only reason I haven't kicked you out of here yet," Cat acknowledged.

Alex laughed. "Okay, I'm going. I'll let you two talk. I just had to stick around to make sure you didn't hurt my baby sister, and then I had to help you sort out your love life." She pointed at Kara. "Remember, no Supergirl today. You're resting. Cat, make sure she rests." Then she waved, and left the apartment.

"Well, if you're resting, then I guess we need to stick to watching movies or something," Cat mused.

"You're staying?" Kara asked hopefully.

"Carter's away for the weekend, so I'm free to spend some time with you," Cat said, sounding confident until she added tentatively, "If you want to, that is."

Kara grinned widely. "I would love to. What kind of movies do you like?"

They ended up watching a strange assortment of films, starting with Dead Poets Society because Cat couldn't believe that Kara hadn't seen it, and then moving on to other Robin Williams movies, followed by a heartbreaking documentary that Cat had wanted to watch about female factory workers in Mexico. "This is unacceptable," Cat muttered. "How can they treat women this way? We need to make sure we're not doing business with these companies."

When they started watching movies, they were on opposite ends of the couch. When Kara began to get sleepy, however, she snuggled into Cat's shoulder. By the end of the documentary, Cat realized that Kara was fast asleep, and that she had inadvertently put her arms around the younger woman. It just felt right. It was a comforting gesture. Cat closed her eyes and allowed herself to doze off as well.

By mid-afternoon, both Kara and Cat were woken up by the incessant rumbling of Kara's stomach. Cat laughed. "I guess the box of pastries is wearing off. How about I make you a real dinner for once?"

"What, you mean, like, cook?" Kara asked, surprised.

"Believe it or not, I do cook occasionally. I like to think I'm actually pretty good at it. I love it, when I have time." Cat took out her phone to text her driver, and then got up to find Kara a snack. She found some crackers and cheese, and brought them over to Kara on a plate. "You stay here and eat this so you don't starve. I'm going to go to the supermarket and grab a few things, and then I'll make dinner."

Kara nodded silently, still processing all of this new information, and followed her boss's directions. Half an hour later, she watched in awe as Cat put together an incredible-looking casserole, and an hour after that, she was speechless after tasting what was the best casserole she'd ever had in her life. "Ms. Grant, I had no idea you could cook like this. I would've moved into your house a year ago."

"First of all, Kara, if we're going to be friends, you'll need to call me Cat, outside of the office. And secondly, I'm not sure how I would've felt about my assistant showing up on my doorstep with suitcases."

Kara laughed. "Underneath that cold exterior, you're a softy. You would've let me stay."

"I'm not at all!" Cat insisted. "Maybe when it comes to you, but that's it."

Grinning, Kara said, "Remember the article about the high school kid whose mom had cancer, and she raised a ton of money for breast cancer research? Well, I know all about the scholarship you gave her. And the bus driver who saved the guy on the side of the road… you sent his whole family on a vacation to Italy. Should I go on? I've got lots more."

Cat shook her head. "No. And don't ever tell anyone about those things. How did you know?"

"I hear a lot of things, Cat. Super-hearing is hard to shut off." She laughed. "I know all the secrets at CatCo. But don't worry, I'm used to keeping things to myself."

"Oh, I'm not worried at all. On the contrary, we're going to utilize these skills!"

"No way," Kara said. "I wouldn't do that."

Cat sighed. "I figured you wouldn't. You and your ridiculous ethics."

Kara smiled warmly at Cat. "I learned everything I know from this boss I have. She's pretty amazing."


	10. Chapter 10

After they had finished dinner and watched another movie, Cat decided she should head home to let Kara get some sleep. Kara, however, was hesitant to let her go. She knew how difficult sleeping had been for the older woman, and she hated the thought of sending Cat home to deal with that alone. But what could she say, really? She couldn't tell Cat that she knew about the nightmares. Cat didn't know that Kara had been spying on her for weeks. And she couldn't exactly invite herself over to Cat's home.

Cat badly wanted to stay. She hated the idea of going home to her empty apartment, especially knowing that she probably wouldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours. But she and Kara were still figuring things out, and they were just friends. They weren't even close to the point where she could stay overnight. So she reluctantly stood up to go home.

Kara followed her to the door, not quite ready to see her leave. She said softly, "Can I give you a hug?"

Cat smiled. "Of course, Kara," she responded. They shared a long, comforting hug, neither one wanting to let go. Eventually, Cat reluctantly stepped away.

"Cat…" Kara began, not sure what she could say, but wanting the older woman to know she was here. Instead, she settled for saying, "I'm really glad you came."

Cat smiled warmly, and touched Kara's cheek. "Me too. Good night, Supergirl," she said quietly, and left.

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When Cat got home, her apartment felt even more empty than usual. She wished that she'd had an excuse to stay overnight with Kara, or to invite the younger woman to her home. She craved the companionship and comfort. On nights like this, she usually headed to a club to find some company, but she didn't feel right about that. Even thought she and Kara were just friends, there was something between them, and she had no interest in spending the night with anyone else.

Cat sighed. Her feelings for Kara were far too strong. She needed to get a hold of herself. This could never work, and not just because Kara was her assistant. The woman was completely out of her league, even if Kara couldn't yet see that. Cat was jaded and bitter, with a history of one-night stands and failed relationships, and she wasn't about to let herself ruin Kara. Given her history, there was no way that this could end well. She was happy that they were becoming friends, but that was all it could ever be.

Cat knew that sleeping would be difficult tonight, so instead, she went to her home office to get some work done. She worked late into the night, finally relenting and heading to bed when she felt her eyes closing. She slept for a couple of hours before waking up screaming, and spent the rest of the night wide awake.

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By the next morning, Kara felt as good as new. The day she'd spent with Cat had lifted her spirits, and the alien's poison had finally worked its way completely out of her system. She spent her morning performing a few minor acts of heroism, cleaning up a couple of traffic accidents and putting out a small house fire. After helping the police track down an escaped criminal, she texted Cat. "Are you hungry?"

At Cat's affirmative response, she picked up some lunch. landed on the penthouse balcony, and knocked on the glass door. She felt her heartbeat accelerate at the sight of the woman's warm smile, and the supersuit gave her the confidence she needed to pull Cat into a hug. Hearing the older woman's heartbeat speed up as well, she smiled.

"I brought you a salad with a cheeseburger on top," Kara said. "I thought maybe we could have lunch together."

"You know me too well," Cat said, smiling. "Come on in."

Once they had entered the kitchen, Kara pulled out her own lunch, a half dozen cheeseburgers, as Cat looked on in astonishment. "Your appetite is incredible."

Kara blushed. "Flying burns a lot of calories," she mumbled.

"Oh, trust me, I'm just jealous. I wish I could eat like that." Cat smiled warmly at the superhero.

While they were eating, the two women chatted about the events of Kara's morning. "This little girl was freaking out because her hamster was still in the house, and she was worried that he was scared, even though the fire was on the other side of the building. So I flew in to check on the hamster, and he was fast asleep." Kara shook her head. "The poor thing didn't even stir until I picked up his cage to take him outside. But the girl was so relieved when she saw him."

Cat smiled. "What a hero. You even save hamsters now."

"At least it wasn't a snake." Kara shuddered. "That was NOT a pleasant rescue. I hate snakes."

"So wait. You're bulletproof and can outrun a fighter jet, and you're afraid of snakes?"

"They're just so gross and slithery, and their tongues are weird. And those beady little eyes…" She shook her head. "Why on earth would anyone have a pet snake? And name it Fluffy?"

Cat couldn't help herself. She started giggling. "Fluffy? That might be the least appropriate name for a snake that I've ever heard."

"People are so weird sometimes," Kara said. Then she spun her head around quickly, hearing gunshots in the distance. "Cat, I–"

"Go," Cat responded firmly. "And if you get bored this afternoon, come back and visit. Carter won't be home until dinnertime."

"Okay," Kara said, smiling. She jumped up, hugged Cat from behind, and disappeared into the sky.

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Kara didn't return that afternoon. Cat followed her progress in the news, watching her stop a robbery, and then defend some army personnel against a group of unfamiliar-looking aliens. She forced herself not to worry when she saw the brutal hits that Kara was taking. She knew the hero could defend herself. Still, it felt more personal now, after the developments in their relationship.

When Carter came home, Cat was so happy to see him that everything else was momentarily forgotten. She hadn't seen nearly enough of her son lately, and the two of them had a lot of catching up to do. She smiled at Carter as he described the events of his weekend, and tried not to be too amused when he rolled his eyes in disgust at his father's new girlfriend. Carter's father didn't exactly have great taste in women. At least he hadn't cancelled with Carter this weekend, like he did so often. Cat sighed. She hadn't exactly been the greatest parent lately either, as focused as she'd been on her own issues. She needed to do better. Carter was the most important person in the world to her, and she couldn't bear to let him down.

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Supergirl helped to bring the aliens back to the DEO, and stayed to make sure that agents had secured the prisoners. When she was convinced they had the situation under control, she got ready to leave, only to be stopped by a hand on your shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" Alex asked, both wanting to make sure that Kara had recovered from the alien's poison, and determined to make sure that this fight hadn't injured her.

"I'm fine, Alex," Kara said, smiling confidently. "They got in a few shots, but I'm good. All healed." She pointed to her face, where she'd taken a shot in the eye, and Alex was relieved to see that there were no signs of bruising.

"Good," the agent said. "Then you can come tell me about this thing with Cat. I need all the details." She shook her head, and smacked Kara lightly. "I can't believe that you didn't tell me she kissed you!"

"Well, I was a little concussed when I saw you after that. And then, with everything that happened that afternoon, it didn't seem very important anymore."

"Okay, then, I suppose I'll forgive you. But tell me all about yesterday. Did you get to spend some time together?"

Kara smiled happily. "We spent the whole day together, watching movies. When I fell asleep on the couch, she put her arms around me. Then she made me dinner, and we hugged before she left, and Alex, it was so nice. And I brought her lunch today. I know we're just friends, but it's so nice to get closer to her."

"Oh, please," Alex said. "You're not just friends, no matter what you call it. You can avoid having a physical relationship, but that doesn't change what you mean to each other. The 'friends' thing is just to put a label on it that will be acceptable."

"Are we doing the right thing, though, Alex?" Kara asked uncertainly. "I mean, she is my boss."

"Kara, she may be your boss, but she respects the hell out of you. And she appreciates who you are… ALL the parts of who you are. I don't know if it's the right thing, or if it's going to work out. I'd like to tell you to stay far away, because I don't ever want to see you hurt, and she has the potential to devastate you. But it's something the two of you need to figure out, and you can't just keep ignoring what's there. So give it some time, and see what happens. And if she hurts you, I'll go kill her for you."

Kara smiled. She had the world's greatest sister.

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It was after ten p.m. before Kara returned to Cat's apartment. She'd been busy all afternoon and evening, but she couldn't go home without checking on the older woman first. She was happy to see Cat sitting on her balcony, as if waiting for her to return. "Hey! Where's Carter?" she asked.

"He's in bed, pretending to sleep while he reads with a flashlight," Cat responded, smiling warmly.

Kara couldn't resist taking a peek herself, and she saw that he was, indeed, lying in bed reading. "You're good," she said, chuckling.

"Call it a mother's instinct. Carter loves to read, and I know he doesn't go to bed when I tell him to."

"And how are you doing?" Kara inquired, wanting badly to ask if the woman felt she'd be able to sleep tonight, but not sure how to go about it.

"I'm so glad Carter's home," Cat responded. "I've missed spending time with him. I've been so busy, and he's been away a lot. I'm glad he's back."

Kara smiled, knowing how much the older woman loved her son, but wished she could somehow bring up Cat's own issues. There was no way that the woman would welcome that conversation, though, so she let it go. "Well, I just wanted to come and say good night. I hope you sleep well, Cat," she said softly.

"You too, Kara," Cat responded. "Good night."

The superhero nodded, and took off into the darkness. She didn't go home, however. She settled onto a nearby rooftop to watch over Cat for a while. She wanted to make sure the woman got some sleep. Of course, her presence was useless: If Cat had a nightmare, there was absolutely nothing she would be able to do about it, short of barging in and waking the woman up. But she couldn't stop herself from hanging around, wishing she could be there to comfort Cat.


	11. Chapter 11

On Monday morning, Cat greeted her assistant as if nothing had changed, grabbing the latte out of Kara's hand and beginning her usual flurry of demands. The rest of CatCo was relieved to see Kara back, having heard rumors that she'd quit on Friday. The only clue that anything was different between them was Cat's murmured "thank you" as Kara left her office.

The morning went smoothly, and Kara found that she was nearly caught up on work by noontime, with no Supergirl emergencies to interrupt her. She was so relieved that she'd come back to work. She knew that a large part of her job involved fetching lattes and lettuce wraps, but recently Cat had begun to trust her with more important tasks as well, such as proofreading articles before they reached her boss's desk. She was currently reading an article for the sports section that badly needed some editing. She shook her head. Cat would fire the writer immediately if she saw this pathetic attempt. She emailed the author with some suggestions for improvement, and moved on to the next article.

That afternoon, Cat had an appearance scheduled on television. Kara had meticulously arranged for hair and makeup to come by early, knowing that her boss liked everything to be perfect, and then followed Cat down to the television studio in case her boss needed anything. Cat was being interviewed about the changing roles of women in the workplace, and Kara knew this particular appearance was incredibly important to her boss.

She watched with pride as Cat spoke eloquently about the challenges women face today, and the subtle forms of sexism that keep women from getting the recognition they deserve. She explained that it is possible for women to reach positions of power, but only if they have thick skins and hide their emotions well. "It's a shame that women have to act that way to be taken seriously."

The program's host brought up the example of Supergirl as a woman who wore her emotions on her sleeve, but whom the city has fallen in love with anyway. Cat smiled and responded, "Well, it helps if you can bench-press a plane and shoot lasers out of your eyes."

The host laughed, but Cat quickly continued, "I hope that Supergirl can be the exception, although I honestly believe that she's been held to higher standards than her cousin has. I have tried to push her from the start, because I felt that was the key to this city embracing her." Cat paused, thinking for a moment. "But she's not like any other woman I've met. It's impossible not to see her goodness and beauty when you look at her, and I think people can't help but be drawn to that. She is a tremendously important symbol in our society, and I think she can help to change the perception of women everywhere."

Cat risked a quick glance at Kara, sending her a smile, and Kara smiled warmly in return. Just then, Kara's phone rang. "Supergirl," Alex said, "we need your help. There's a bridge in danger of collapsing."

"Be right there," Kara said.

She stood up and looked at Cat, who nodded slightly. Kara smiled at her before ducking out of the studio.

When she reached the bridge in question, the situation was dire. "Alex, what the hell happened here?" She stared at the destruction: there was a hole in the bridge, and another section was dangling, about to collapse into the river.

"It was a bomb. The rest of the bridge is probably safe, so see if you can do something about that part that's about to fall."

"What exactly can I do? Hold it up myself?" Kara shook her head.

"Well, that could work," Alex said, missing the sarcasm, or perhaps just choosing to ignore it.

"Good thing I had a big breakfast this morning," Kara said, sighing. She flew underneath the collapsing section, which was a good twenty feet lower than the adjacent part of the bridge, and lifted it slowly, bringing it level with the adjacent part of the bridge. She held it there, wincing at the extreme weight, while cars slowly made their way off the dangerous section of the bridge.

Once the last car had escaped, Alex said, "Okay, you're all set. But Kara, do you think you could carry that section over to the shore, rather than dumping it into the water? It's probably not good for the fish."

"I'll try," Kara said, sighing. "This thing's kind of heavy." She grunted with exertion as she slowly carried the mass of metal and concrete toward the side of the river. She dropped it onto an unoccupied section of the shore, and sank to the ground in relief. "Why would someone bomb a bridge?"

"Still working on that, Supergirl. But I think we just got a clue. Lord Industries has been attacked."

"It was a diversion," Kara concluded. "Of course." She sighed and took off. "I'm on my way."

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By the time she reached Lord Industries, there was no sign of the attackers. She knew, from the descriptions given by security guards, that it must have been the work of Astra and Non. Lord's human guards stood no chance against such a formidable enemy.

Hank and Alex arrived not long after Kara did, and spent a few minutes trying to pry information out of the always-elusive Maxwell Lord. About the only thing he was willing to admit was that they'd hacked into his computer systems, but he would not allow the DEO's experts any access to those computers to determine what they were looking for. He assured the agents he would take care of the problem himself, and asked them to please leave his property.

The agents and superhero glared at him, but they couldn't exactly arrest him for being hacked, so eventually they agreed to leave.

It was late when Kara returned to CatCo, so she was not surprised to see that everyone was gone, even her boss. Out of habit, she glanced down to the parking garage, and saw that Cat's car had left, but… what was that? It looked like there was a man tied up and blindfolded in the corner of the garage.

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Cat had exited the elevator into the parking garage while glancing at her phone, and stepped into the open door of her car without even looking up. She was alarmed to see a man in the back seat of the limo with her, and even more alarmed to recognize him as the one who had tried to attack her in the nightclub.

"Well, well, it's Cat Grant!" he said in greeting, as the car took off out of the parking lot. "I didn't realize who you were at first, but when I saw you on TV, I finally put it together. Cat Grant turned me down last week." He leaned closer to Cat, and the woman could smell the alcohol on his breath. "I'm gonna let you in on a secret, Cat. No one turns me down."

Cat was afraid, but she was not about to let him know. "Get out of my car, you disgusting pervert," she spat.

"I'm afraid that's not gonna happen, Cat. Not until you give me what I came here for. I've been thinking all afternoon about putting that mouth of yours to good use." He reached toward Cat and wrapped his arms around her waist, sliding them upward and grabbing at her breasts. She struggled against him, but she knew she stood no chance against his strength. He ripped her blouse open, and slipped his hands underneath. Then he tried to push one hand under her skirt, while she kicked and flailed wildly. "You're a pathetic excuse for a human being," Cat managed to say.

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Kara raced down to the garage in her Supergirl outfit, and was horrified to discover that Cat's driver was the man she'd spotted in the garage. While she untied him and yanked the cloth off of his mouth, she inquired desperately as to Cat's whereabouts.

The man shook his head. "These two guys attacked me, and they took her away in my car. I don't know where they were going with her."

Supergirl nodded, and then took off. She listened carefully, searching for Cat's voice. After a few moments, she heard, "You're a pathetic excuse for a human being." She zeroed in on the voice, and saw the car racing down the street a few blocks away. So angry she could barely breathe, she zoomed toward the source of the sound, and landed in front of the car. The driver slammed on the brakes, but there was no need – she stopped the vehicle with one hand. She yanked open the back door angrily, and saw Cat sitting in the back, with her blouse ripped open and skirt pushed up.

She grabbed the man sitting next to Cat, and dragged him out of the vehicle. "You!" she said in shock, recognizing the man who had attacked Cat in the nightclub. It took her a moment to realize he'd have no idea that she knew who he was.

He stared at the superhero, and began to stammer an excuse. "Supergirl, she got into the car with me, and then she was all over me. It's a good thing you stopped her."

Kara punched him, a little harder than was strictly necessary, and he sank to the ground as he lost consciousness. Then she grabbed the driver out of the front seat, and tied him up with rope she found in the passenger's seat. By now, traffic had stopped and a crowd had gathered, so the police were quick to arrive. Supergirl gave them the basics, and they took the men away.

She slid into the back seat and pulled Cat into her arms. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, holding Cat tightly. The older woman nodded silently, not yet trusting herself to talk. "I'm taking you home, okay?" Another nod.

Kara picked the woman up, and quickly flew her away from the commotion. She took Cat straight to her penthouse apartment, and brought her to her bedroom to change out of her ripped clothing. She stood just outside the door while Cat changed, and then grasped her hand and took her out into the living room, where Carter was waiting.

"Supergirl!" he said in surprise. Then he looked at his mother's tear-stained face and shaking hands. "Mom? What happened?"

Cat didn't know what to say. She was not going to tell her son what had nearly taken place in the car, nor how she'd met the man, and probably deserved whatever happened to her. Kara saved her the embarrassment. "Your mom was taken by a deranged man," the hero said. "Fortunately, I heard her voice, and stopped the car. He's been arrested."

Carter paled. "Mom, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm okay, Carter," Cat said weakly. "I just need to be more careful from now on." She should not have been spending her time at bars, and inviting this sort of attention.

Kara gave her a long look. "It's not your fault, Cat," she said softly. "You're not responsible for what men like that do."

"I know," Cat responded, although she sounded anything but convinced.

"Mom, I'm so glad you're okay," Carter said, coming over to give his mother a tight hug. She held on, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. When Carter finally let her go, he wrapped Supergirl in an equally tight hug. "Thank you for looking out for my mom," he said softly.

"Anytime," Kara said, smiling warmly at the teenager. "Your mom is a pretty important to me."

"Yes, well," Cat said briskly, "it's getting late and I'm sure you have other places to be, Supergirl."

"Actually, I thought I'd stick around here for tonight," Kara responded. "I'm not taking any chances on your safety."

Cat was about to object, but Carter smiled and said, "Thanks, Supergirl," and the objection died in her throat. If Kara's presence made Carter feel better, she wasn't going to argue with the superhero.


	12. Chapter 12

Kara took charge of supper, heating up the lasagna that Carter's nanny had left in the fridge, and cutting vegetables for a salad. Meanwhile, Carter volunteered to set the table. Cat eventually came in to join them, and had to smile at the sight. "I never thought I'd see Supergirl standing in my kitchen, making dinner." Kara laughed.

When the meal was ready, they sat down to eat. Kara ate her usual hearty portion, and Carter almost matched her bite for bite. Cat, however, picked delicately at her food. Although the superhero encouraged her to eat, she insisted that she wasn't particularly hungry. Kara frowned and let it go for now, knowing what a rough evening Cat had endured. After they were finished eating, Kara quickly cleaned up and joined the other two in the living room. They watched an hour or so of television, and then Carter left to get ready for bed.

When they had the room to themselves, Cat said, "Kara, you don't need to be here. I'm fine."

Kara shook her head firmly. "I'm not leaving. I know you're okay, but I'm not ready to leave you."

Cat sighed. "All right, well, I'm going to say good night to Carter. I'm sure he'd like it if you came too." Kara nodded.

When they got to Carter's room, Kara went in first. "Carter, I just wanted to say good night, and thanks for letting me stay here with the two of you for a while."

She was surprised, and incredibly touched, when he launched himself into her arms again. "I'm really glad you're here," he said. "My mom is safe because of you. Good night, Supergirl."

"Good night, Carter," the hero said fondly, and left to allow mother and son a few moments alone.

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When Cat finally returned to the living room, she saw Kara standing at the window, staring absently into the night. Without turning around, Kara said softly, "I was so scared. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to you."

"I'm okay, Supergirl," Cat said briskly. "You found me in time."

Kara shook her head. "Not really. He had his hands all over you! I should've known he would try something stupid. I should've been there."

This wouldn't do. Cat would not allow Kara to feel like she'd failed in any way. She would need to get over her own reluctance and let the superhero know that she'd done everything she could. Cat walked up behind Kara, and spun the superhero around to face her. "Kara, because of you, I'm safe tonight. Thank you." She put her arms around the Kryptonian, and hugged Kara tightly. Instantly, the hero wrapped her own arms around Cat, and the two of them held each other for a long moment.

Kara didn't want to let go, so she began to run her hands over the woman's back and shoulders in a soothing motion. She was startled to feel Cat trembling slightly. "Hey, it's okay," she said softly.

"I was just afraid that I would never see Carter again," Cat admitted quietly. "That my own stupidity had nearly taken his mother away from him."

Kara shook her head. "I would never have let that happen. I would've searched the whole planet for you. And don't you dare blame yourself for this." She quickly flew them over to the couch, and she sat Cat down next to her and wrapped her arms even more tightly around the older woman. They sat there in silence for a while, until Kara finally spoke again. "Cat, I know you think this is somehow your fault," she said softly, "but it's not. Just because you went to a nightclub doesn't make you responsible for his behavior."

Cat nodded, but Kara knew that she was far from convinced. Still, it was the best Kara could do at the moment. She asked, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Cat shrugged. It didn't matter – there wasn't much to tell, really. "I was on my phone, and I didn't notice he was in the backseat with me until too late. He grabbed me and ripped my shirt and put his hands all over me, and then you were there."

"Cat," Kara said, "he's a monster, and this probably wasn't the first time he's done something like this. There is absolutely no way that any of this was your fault, and his arrest probably saved other people from being terrorized by him."

Cat nodded again, without saying a word. She wanted to push the younger woman away. She wanted to take control of the situation. But she felt scared and alone, and this was Kara. She was so easy to trust.

"Come here, Cat," Kara said, lying down and pulling the older woman on top of her. "I just want to hold you, okay? You don't need to talk, unless you want to. I'm here for you. I hope you know that." She held Cat securely in her arms, stroking her arms, shoulders and back, running her hands through Cat's hair, and squeezing her tightly. Exhausted from the events of the evening, Cat relaxed into the embrace, and quickly fell asleep.

Kara lay there with Cat in her arms for over an hour, until she decided that the woman should probably sleep in an actual bed. Rather than getting up, she kept her body underneath Cat's, and floated the two of them into Cat's room and onto her bed. Once they were safely to the bed, she began to extract her body from underneath the older woman. As much as she wanted to stay, Kara was uncomfortable with the idea of inviting herself into an unconscious woman's bed. She gave up on that idea, however, when Cat clutched her even more tightly. She wrapped her arms back around Cat, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

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Kara woke up an hour later to feel Cat thrashing around in her arms. Concerned, she released the woman from her grasp, but Cat continued to fight her presence in the bed. She was clearly having an awful nightmare. "Cat," she said softly. "Wake up. It's just a dream." At Cat's continued movements, Kara touched the woman's shoulder lightly, and felt Cat jerk away in response. "Cat, wake up," Kara said urgently, and the older woman leapt up into a sitting position, gasping for breath.

"Cat it was just a dream. You're okay. I'm right here." Kara reached over to put her hand on Cat's shoulder, and was heartbroken to see the woman cringe in response to her touch. Still, she kept talking, trying to calm the woman with her voice. "Cat, you're safe. No one is going to hurt you. I won't let them, I promise. It was just a nightmare."

After a moment, Cat's breathing returned to normal, and she adjusted her position on the bed so that she was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees. She sank her head into her knees, and concentrated on calming herself down, while Kara continued to murmur soothing phrases in her direction.

Eventually, she lifted her head and looked at Kara, eyes haunted. "I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "I'm fine now."

Kara shook her head. "You don't need to be sorry. I'm glad I could be here to wake you up. But you don't seem fine." She paused, not knowing whether Cat would welcome her touch or her questions right now. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Cat shook her head. "I'm just surprised it happened tonight. Usually, I don't have nightmares when someone's here with me."

"Well, you had kind of a rough night," Kara pointed out. After another moment, she asked softly, "So this happens a lot?" She was well aware of that fact already, of course, but Cat wouldn't know that.

Cat shrugged. "Only when I'm alone. Which, according to my mother, is not very often."

"Oh, please," Kara said. "Your mother's opinion means less than nothing." She looked at Cat searchingly. "What did you dream about?" Cat had already declined to talk about the dream, but Kara thought it might be worth asking one more time.

Cat stood up and began to pace around the room. Kara didn't need to hear about any of this, but she seemed to want to know. Cat could talk in generalities, and not reveal much of anything. "I told you about my mother's boyfriend Todd," she said.

Kara nodded, frowning. She would not soon forget that conversation.

"That went on for a very long time," Cat said, in a voice devoid of emotion. "Over a year."

"No one knew about it?" Kara asked quietly.

"Just the two of us, until one day I finally snapped at my mother and it came out. She didn't like a guy I was spending time with. He was just a friend, but it didn't matter to her. So she was telling me that if I kept hanging around with him, people would say I was a slut, and I told her that I'd rather be a slut than someone who dates a child molester. We had a screaming match, and then Todd came clean and said I had been begging for it with the way I dressed and acted. My mother wouldn't accept a boyfriend who chose me over her, so that was the end of that."

"Oh, Cat," Kara said sadly, and shook her head. She'd always known she hated Katherine Grant, but she'd never before felt this level of anger toward the woman. "She has never been good enough for you. I hate her."

But Cat was done sharing secrets. She could hear the pity in Kara's voice, and that just wouldn't do. She had talked more than enough tonight, and she was embarrassed. "It's fine," she said briskly. "It's over now."

Kara could see the woman's embarrassment, and she wanted desperately to stop Cat from closing herself off. "Cat, I know there's nothing I can say to make up for any of what happened. I know I can't erase the past. God, I wish so badly that I could. All I can do is tell you that I'm here for you, and that it wasn't your fault."

Cat, however, was in full damage-control mode. "I told you, Kara, I'm fine. It was a long time ago."

"But Cat, the nightmares–"

"I think you should go now," Cat said briskly, interrupting whatever Kara had been about to say. "I've disrupted your sleep enough for one night."

Kara wanted to say something, anything, to let Cat know that she was there, and that whatever Cat said would not change how Kara felt about her. But Cat was not about to let her in right now. She was ashamed and vulnerable, and when Cat felt vulnerable, she closed herself off. Kara made one last attempt. "I would rather stay, if it's okay with you, Cat."

"No," Cat said. "Go home. We're not in a relationship. We shouldn't be sharing a bed."

Kara nodded sadly, understanding why Cat was acting this way, but hurt nonetheless. "Okay," she said softly. "See you in the morning."

After Kara left, Cat sank down onto the bed and put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe that she'd talked with Kara about Todd, and she was afraid of how badly she'd wanted to share more information. She needed to protect herself, and she needed to remember the boundaries with Kara. Cat Grant didn't share personal details with anyone, least of all her assistant and newest friend. It was becoming far too easy to trust Kara, and Cat didn't like that one bit.

Kara settled on top of the building across the street, wanting desperately to go back to Cat's bedroom. She could see how upset the older woman was, and she wanted to reassure Cat that she could be trusted. But she knew the older woman needed some time to accept what had happened. She suspected that Cat would find a way to reach out to her tomorrow – actually, technically today, given the time – and she needed to be patient and wait for Cat to be ready. She just wished that she could be there to hold Cat through the rest of the night. But maybe someday. Someday soon, she hoped.


	13. Chapter 13

When Kara saw Cat the next morning, the older woman treated Kara as if nothing had changed. At the office, Cat was cool and confident, always ready for anything. She fired off a list of demands, and sent Kara off to work. Kara tried hard to keep herself from any lingering, concerned glances, although she could tell that the woman hadn't slept much. She needed to be patient, and wait for Cat to reach out to her.

It was a fairly quiet day for Supergirl – Kara had to leave her desk just once, to carry an accident victim to the hospital, in addition to her usual lunchtime rounds. She tried to keep herself from glancing too often at her boss, because Cat noticed everything, so she kept her head down, focused on the tasks she'd been assigned. She was disappointed to see that the sports article she'd sent back for rewriting had been sent to her again, and was no better than the first time. The writer had fixed a few grammatical mistakes, but he'd done nothing to make the article more informative or thorough. It still sounded like a sixth grader had written it. "All right, Josh, I gave you a chance," she muttered, sighing.

She printed out the article and knocked on Cat's office door. When the older woman looked up, Kara said, "I tried to help him fix this article. I really did. But he's completely unwilling to put any effort in." At her boss's beckoning gesture, Kara stepped forward and handed over the article.

Cat read the article, her frown deepening as she continued to scan. When she finished, she said, "Call him in for a meeting. While he's here, have his colleagues pack up his desk. This is unacceptable." Kara nodded. "And Kara?"

"Yes, Ms. Grant?"

"Would you like to have dinner with us tomorrow night?" Cat asked nervously. She wanted to make amends for the way she'd treated Kara last night. To hide her nervousness, she added, "I bet Carter would love to spend time with you."

Kara was relieved to see Cat making an effort, and thrilled at the idea of spending more time with Cat and Carter. But… "You don't think– I mean, won't he see the similarities with last night's dinner guest?"

"Honestly, Kara? I think he already has. He's definitely the son of a journalist." She laughed. "But he's never said anything about it, so we'll let him keep that secret to himself. You can trust him, Kara."

Kara was a little taken aback by the knowledge that Carter saw right through her, but it explained the hug he'd given her after the train incident, as well as how quickly he'd accepted both Kara and Supergirl. She supposed there wasn't much she could do about it now, in any case. And there was no way she was going to refuse this invitation. "I'd love to," she said, smiling happily.

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The next night, they had a nice dinner together. Cat was thrilled to see how easily Carter had warmed up to Kara. Even if Carter knew that Kara was Supergirl – and she was pretty sure that he did – his trust of Kara was based entirely on the young woman's personality. The two of them had a lot in common, and Kara treated Carter as if nothing was more important than whatever he had to say. So many adults were silly or condescending with children, and Carter had no tolerance for that. He recognized that Kara genuinely cared what he had to say, and he responded eagerly.

After dinner, the three of them watched a movie, and then it was once again time for Carter to get ready to bed. This time, Kara was able to say good night to Carter as herself, and Carter responded just as warmly to her as he had to Supergirl the night before. "You make my mom really happy, Kara," Carter said. "Are you going to be around more?"

"I hope so," Kara said, smiling warmly. "But that's up to your mom. Either way, we'll still be friends, right?"

Carter nodded and smiled back.

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Kara was waiting in the living room, pacing nervously, when Cat came back downstairs. Cat stood and waited, knowing that Kara's restlessness meant that she had something to say. And knowing Kara, she would probably ramble on and on about it until Cat finally cut her off.

After a moment, Kara began, "Cat… I know what you said last night, about not sleeping in the same bed. But I was hoping that maybe I could stay here with you, even just for a little while? I mean, just as friends. I just – I sleep better when I'm here, and I like knowing that you're not alone, and I just want to be able to be here if anything happens, or if you have–"

"Stop talking, Kara," Cat said, rolling her eyes. "I'd like it if you stayed." She was not about to share any personal details about the nightmares, but maybe it would help having Kara there with her. Maybe it would even keep the nightmares from coming. "But you're going to need some better attire for sleeping." Kara was still wearing her clothes from work.

"Oops. I kind of forgot about that," Kara admitted. "I'll be right back, okay?" She stepped out onto the balcony, and disappeared. A couple of minutes later, she was back, wearing a pair of cute pink pajamas.

Cat rolled her eyes. "Even your pajamas are pastel-colored. Why am I not surprised?"

Kara laughed, and said, "Are you ready for bed?"

Cat nodded, and climbed into bed. Kara followed, crawling into the other side. They lay there awkwardly for a moment, until Kara hesitantly said, "Can I, um, maybe…"

"Yes, Kara," Cat said laughing, and pulled the woman toward herself. They snuggled together, both women smiling at the closeness, and quickly fell asleep.

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In the morning, Cat woke up to a comforting warmth, and she smiled even before opening her eyes. The sight of a beautiful superhero sleeping beside her, head on Cat's shoulder, made her smile widen, and she took a moment to brush some of the hair out of Kara's face and place a gentle kiss on the hero's forehead. A glimpse of pink pajamas nearly made Cat roll her eyes, but it was so very Kara that she laughed instead.

Kara felt Cat's hand brushing the hair out of her face, and the light kiss that Cat placed on her forehead, and she heard the older woman laugh as she took in Kara's outfit. "You don't like my pajamas?" she murmured, smiling sleepily.

"Only my assistant could pull off an outfit like that," Cat said, squeezing her tightly. "You know, I slept better last night than I have in weeks."

Kara opened her eyes, and smiled at the older woman. "I'm glad," she said softly. "Can I… come back tonight? Or another night sometime soon? I mean, if that's okay with you… I just like being here to help you sleep, and it helps me sleep better too. But if you don't want–"

Cat smiled, and said, "I'd like that, Kara," laughing at the relieved look on Kara's face.

"I should go, before Carter wakes up and wonders why I'm still here." Kara smiled. "But I'll see you tonight." She gave Cat one last hug, and got out of bed.

As she stepped out onto the balcony, Cat called after her, "What should I do if I get reports of a flying woman in a pink outfit?"

Kara laughed. "You're the award-winning journalist. You'll think of something." She waved and flew off.

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They continued their elaborate dance for several more nights. Kara would show up shortly before bed, landing on Cat's balcony after finishing her superhero duties for the night, and they would spend the night wrapped in each other's arms. Neither wanted to say anything, for fear of ruining what they had.

Their reluctance to talk about it had little to do with sleeping better, although Cat hadn't had any nightmares all week. But they were more afraid that giving voice to their feelings would break the spell. During the day, Cat would find herself looking forward to the night, when she would be able to be in Kara's arms again. There was something about Kara's embrace that comforted her, and made her feel like anything was possible. She knew this shouldn't be happening: they were just friends, and Cat's feelings were more than "friendly." Still, as long as they didn't talk about it, their actions could still qualify as friendship.

Kara was finding it harder and harder to pretend that things hadn't progressed between them. Spending her nights in Cat's arms was more than she had ever hoped for; yet it somehow wasn't quite enough. She wanted acknowledgement that these nights were more than just two friends comforting each other. She knew they meant more than that to her, and she was almost positive that Cat felt the same way. But she also knew that pushing Cat in any way would result in the woman shutting her out. So she forced herself to be patient, and to wait for Cat to take the next step.

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On Friday night, Kara was late getting to Cat's balcony, having been needed to fight a group of hostile aliens. When she finally arrived, she saw that Cat had already gone to bed. Not wanting to wake the older woman, Kara turned around to go home when she suddenly realized that Cat was talking in her sleep. "No, please, no," she heard, and went racing into the bedroom to wake Cat from her nightmare.

At first, the woman cringed away from her touch, but Kara kept talking and shaking the woman gently until Cat was finally awake. "Cat," Kara said softly, "I'm here. It's okay." Once she'd given Cat a chance to compose herself, she tentatively reached out to pull Cat into her arms, and was relieved when the woman sank into her embrace.

They just lay there in silence for a while, with Cat trying to slow her breathing and relax her body. Kara was relieved that Cat seemed willing to accept her comfort. She never wanted to let go. Still, she was worried. She wanted to find a way to help ease the nightmares, especially on nights when she couldn't be there right away. She knew that Cat's tendency to keep everything bottled up couldn't be helpful, and wanted to see if she could get the older woman to talk, at least a little bit. So she took a risk, despite knowing that her questions might not go over well. "Was it about Todd?" she asked quietly.

Cat nodded silently.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Kara asked, hoping the woman wouldn't turn her down.

Cat shrugged. "It was just like most times – he was in my bed." She left it at that. She wasn't going to go into detail.

Kara could tell that Cat wasn't going to give specifics, and she certainly wasn't going to push in those areas. So she took a different approach. "How did the abuse start? Do you remember the first time?"

Cat shook her head. "It's hazy. The mind can be a funny thing sometimes."

Kara looked at her in confusion, waiting for the woman to elaborate.

Cat blew out a deep breath, and continued, "At the beginning, it was always late at night, after I was asleep. He would come into my room in the dark, and I could barely see him, and in the morning it seemed so surreal, I wasn't sure it had happened. There were signs, of course, but I think I was determined to ignore them. I thought maybe I was dreaming the whole thing." She shook her head. "I was so embarrassed at the thought that I was dreaming about him."

Imagine, Kara thought, being a thirteen-year-old and thinking you were making up the abuse, thinking you had even dreamt about it because you somehow wanted it to happen. She couldn't even begin to understand how isolating that would feel, and how terrifying. It would have destroyed Cat's self-image. She was so angry with the man who had done this to Cat, and with the mother who had let it happen, regardless of whether or not she knew anything. She knew that her anger wouldn't do Cat any good right now, so she tried to focus on keeping Cat talking. "When did you realize it wasn't a dream?"

"One night, I couldn't sleep. I was still awake when he came in. I was so scared… I didn't stop him. But afterwards, I made myself get up and go to the bathroom, and wash myself off. I wanted to make sure I remembered that it was real. I was so relieved that I hadn't been dreaming about it. I felt a little less abnormal."

Abnormal? This monster had been abusing her for Rao-only-knows-how-long, and Cat was worried about being the abnormal one? Still, it must have been a relief to find out she wasn't making it up. "But you still didn't tell anyone?" Kara asked gently, realizing that it must have continued after that.

"No. It had already happened so many times – I figured that everyone would think I was a slut, and that I wanted it. So I just let him keep doing whatever he wanted, for a long time."

Kara sighed, wishing she could somehow go back and fix the awful events of Cat's past. "You know it's not your fault, right? None of this is your fault. You are an amazingly strong woman, and I'm so proud of you for surviving this, and for becoming the incredible person you are."

She could see Cat wanting to close herself off, and she wasn't going to let the woman do that, not this time. "Cat, please don't push me away. You don't need to say anything if you don't want to, but please let me be here with you. I just want to hold you."

Cat had said far more than she'd intended to. Kara was just such an easy person to trust, and she found herself revealing more and more of herself. She felt vulnerable and ashamed, and wanted to push Kara away, make some awful comment that would send the young woman scurrying home. But she'd done that enough with Kara, and the young woman never gave up on her. And the truth was, she didn't want to push Kara away. She wanted the young woman to stay here, and to hold her, keeping the nightmares at bay. She would probably regret this in the morning, but for now, she wanted Kara's comfort. She sank gratefully into the woman's arms, and felt Kara pulling her even closer. Kara kissed the top of her head, and rubbed her back until she fell back asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Cat woke up in a room awash in sunshine, and instinctively curled toward the woman lying next to her. She sighed with contentment as she snuggled into Kara's arms, and fought down her urge to kiss the superhero. They were just friends, as much as she dreamed of someday being more than that. Still, the feeling of being in Kara's arms was more comforting than anything she'd ever experienced.

As the fogginess of sleep receded from her mind, she began to recall the conversation they'd had the night before, and suddenly felt much less relaxed. Cat had told Kara more than she'd ever told anyone. She'd had therapists, sure; but she had never trusted them enough to explain how the abuse had happened. She had always referred to it in vague terms, as if checking off the box for "childhood sexual abuse" would help her therapists to diagnose her. And perhaps it had, since they were always in a rush to slap labels on her. But now Kara knew about her shame, and about the time that passed before she'd told anyone about the abuse. Last night, Kara had been sweet and supportive. But would it change things between them, and make Kara treat her like she was made of glass, or somehow damaged?

Kara had felt Cat stirring next to her, and she'd smiled as the older woman curled into her arms. Maybe they couldn't be more than friends right now, but this was enough. After a moment, however, the woman tensed, as if remembering how much she had said last night. When she felt Cat start to get out of bed, Kara opened her eyes and reached her arms out for the other woman. She would not let Cat feel embarrassed about what she had shared.

Cat allowed herself to be pulled back into Kara's arms. She heard Kara murmur sleepily, "I could get used to this," and couldn't help smiling despite her uncertainty. Kara was so incredibly sweet. But she needed to do some damage control.

"Kara," began Cat hesitantly, "what I told you last night…" She took a deep breath, but before she could continue, Kara was speaking softly.

"Don't you dare start apologizing, Cat. Don't shut me out. I'm here because I care about you, and nothing you told me last night changes that. Before our conversation, I thought you were the strongest and bravest person I knew, and everything you said confirmed that." Kara squeezed Cat tightly, and continued, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. But I'm glad you gave me a chance to understand a little bit more about you, and I hope you'll continue to trust me. I really want to be here for you."

Kara paused to place a kiss on Cat's forehead. "Cat, the way I feel about you hasn't changed. I still think you're amazing, and I still have the world's worst crush on you." She blushed, and continued, "But right now, I'm here as your friend. I like being here with you at night, to help you with the nightmares, or listen, or whatever else I can do. And you're not getting rid of me."

Cat nodded, still feeling uncertain, but slightly encouraged by the younger woman's words. And hearing that Kara's feelings for her hadn't changed… that was an unexpected bonus. She smiled, and forced herself to relax slightly. In response, Kara pulled her even closer.

"Can I ask you a question?" Kara asked hesitantly. At Cat's slight nod, she asked, "Cat, are the nightmares always this bad?"

Cat shook her head. "No. They get triggered by things. They've been bad for a few weeks now."

Kara was tempted to ask what triggered them this time, but she suspected that Cat wouldn't want to answer that question. She knew how hard it had been for Cat to talk about any of this, and she was afraid to push the woman right now. Cat needed to know that Kara could handle what she'd already said. She needed reassurance and comfort, and Kara was determined to provide that. "Well, there's nothing I can do about the past. But I'm here now, and I will be for as long as you want me. I want to help you through the nightmares, and to encourage you to get any help you need to put this behind you. You're not getting rid of me, because I care about you way too much."

Cat was incredibly touched by Kara's words. As much as a part of her wanted to pull away to protect herself, she knew that it wasn't really necessary: Kara wasn't going anywhere. She wished she had the words to respond to Kara's declarations, but words of love and appreciation weren't really her forte. She was a woman of action. So she lifted her head toward Kara's, and met the Kryptonian's lips with her own. She channeled the love and gratitude that she felt into a soft, passionate kiss, and sighed in contentment when Kara wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her mouth even closer. Eventually, she pulled away reluctantly, and murmured, "Thank you for being there, Kara."

Kara pulled Cat's head to her chest for another hug. "Of course, Cat. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Just then, as if mocking her, Kara's phone buzzed. She sighed, and then reached over to pick it up. "Hey, Alex. What's going on?" After a pause, she frowned and said, "Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can." She hung up the phone, and leaned over to kiss Cat's cheek before getting up.

Cat looked at her with concern. "Is everything okay?"

Kara shrugged. "Not sure yet. Alex said something about briefing for a mission."

"Well," Cat said. "if you finish in time, will you come spend the afternoon with Carter and me? We're thinking of going to the zoo."

"I'd love to," Kara said, grinning widely. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

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When Kara got to the DEO, Hank was already talking to the agents about some intelligence they'd received. "We believe we have the location of Astra's and Non's hideout. We've received some intelligence that I believe is credible. We're going to launch a surprise attack this morning."

Alex was standing there with a concerned look on her face. Kara agreed with her assessment. Astra and Non were smarter than that. If they'd been fed intelligence, it was likely a trap. "Don't you remember what happened the last time we believed we knew their plans? A bunch of men got killed," Supergirl responded.

Hank frowned. "This intelligence is solid, and we will take all of the necessary precautions. We're not risking agents' lives." He looked at Supergirl. "Now, this mission is happening in two hours, with or without your help, so you need to decide whether you will be a part of it."

Kara nodded. "Of course I'll help." She knew that Hank didn't like being second-guessed in front of his agents. She wished she could share his confidence, but she couldn't bear the thought of anyone getting hurt.

The meeting was over, and Alex came over to greet her. "Supergirl, we have a little bit of time before we suit up, so I have to ask: How is Cat this morning?"

"She's fine. She… why are you asking me that?"

"I knew it!" Alex guided Kara into her lab, so they could talk privately. Once there, she spun around and confronted Kara. "You're sleeping with her, aren't you?"

"No! Well, I mean, I guess maybe technically we are, or more like she's sleeping, I mean… no! Alex, we're just friends! Although actually, this morning she kissed me, and I'm not sure exactly what that meant, because I think maybe she was just thanking me…" She trailed off, staring at a suddenly smirking Alex.

Alex took control. "Okay, start from the beginning. Leave nothing out."

"Okay, well," Kara began, "the first time it was just a…" She realized that Cat wouldn't want Alex to know about the assault, and probably not about the nightmares either. "Well, she had an awful day, and I was hugging her, and she fell asleep, so I brought her to bed, and I just… ended up staying there for a while. And then, I don't know, we both just sleep better when we're there together, so I started coming over at night. And then, this morning, she kissed me, but I think that was just her way of saying thank you for… things I said."

Alex stared at her for a minute, trying to decipher what Kara was saying. "Something happened to Cat, and you don't want to tell me what it is, because it's personal. And she's not sleeping well, so you're being a friend and staying with her."

Kara nodded, embarrassed that her sister could read her so easily.

"Kara, she's letting you in. That's not something Cat Grant does with many people – or anyone, actually. She must really trust you."

"I mean, it hasn't been easy for her, but she's trying. She's letting me in, a little bit at a time."

"And then she kissed you, so it's more than just trust she feels for you."

"No… I mean, yeah, I hope she does, but I think maybe we're still just friends. But she invited me to the zoo with the two of them this afternoon, and she's invited me over a couple of nights to hang out with them. I can be happy with friendship, if that's all this is."

Alex looked at her dubiously. "Kara, come on, you know it's more than that."

Kara sighed. "Maybe. I just don't want to get my hopes up."

"Then I will for you," Alex said, grinning. "The Queen of All Media and Supergirl. Can you imagine if the tabloids discovered that one? Wow!"

"Alex! It's just Cat and Kara. At least, I hope it will be someday."

"Cat and Kara, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes– Ow! That hurt!" Alex glared at Kara, who had thrown a boot at her head.

"Good," Kara said. "Because we outgrew that rhyme before I landed on this planet."

Alex grinned. "No way."

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They headed toward a building located on the northern edge of National City. Supergirl agreed to wait for the agents to arrive before entering. They blasted the doors in, and charged into the halls to find… nothing. Only empty corridors and white walls greeted them. They charged into each room, searching for any sign of inhabitance, but found nothing, until finally one of the agents yelled out, "Bomb!" They rushed out of the building as quickly as possible, and seemed to have all made it outside before the bomb detonated. Director Henshaw called for a headcount, and was relieved to see that all agents were accounted for.

"Where's Supergirl?" asked Alex, suddenly panicking. Hank looked around in alarm. The superhero was missing. Alex charged into the building, with Hank only a couple of steps behind her. They searched quickly, until Alex saw a green glow emanating from one of the rooms. She ran in, and found Kara's limp body on the floor, unconscious and bleeding. "Shit!" she yelled, kneeling down next to her sister and feeling for a pulse. "The Kryptonite must've weakened her, and she got trapped in here." She was relieved to discover a weak pulse, but Kara looked to be in pretty bad shape. "Get doctors in here before we move her. We don't know what kind of damage the bomb did." She began talking to Kara, begging the hero to wake up, and to be okay, while Hank removed the Kryptonite from the room.

Doctors loaded Kara onto a backboard and placed her onto a gurney, while Alex hung on to her sister's hand for dear life. She couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her sister. When they loaded Kara into an ambulance, Alex was right by her side, still grasping Kara's hand like a lifeline. Kara was strong. Kara would be okay. She had to be.


	15. Chapter 15

"It was a trap. It was all a setup to hurt Supergirl, and maybe catch a few DEO agents too." Alex was furious. "Whoever we got this tip from is trying to destroy Supergirl. How could you have thought this was credible?"

She was standing with Hank outside the treatment room, staring into the windows as doctors treated her sister.

Hank shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. The only important thing right now is making sure that Supergirl is okay."

"I just can't believe I left her in there," Alex said miserably. "I should've noticed she wasn't with us, or seen the Kryptonite. I should've been there for her."

"No, Alex. Don't do that. You were on a mission, responsible for your own safety. Kara wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

"I can't help it," the agent said sadly. "I just really need her to be okay."

"I know, Alex," Hank said softly. He awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, and then dropped his hand after a few uncomfortable seconds.

One of the doctors came out to update them. "Her powers are returning, now that she's away from the Kryptonite. The trauma from the blast was extensive – damage to her spinal cord, a number of broken bones, a punctured lung. For a human, it would be life-threatening. Fortunately, Supergirl has extraordinary healing powers. We're hoping she'll make a full recovery.

"You're hoping?" Alex repeated, not liking the sound of that word.

"Well, it's too soon to tell for sure. And you're probably the most knowledgeable about alien physiology, so you'd probably have a better idea than we would."

Alex nodded. "I'll come take a look."

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Cat was panicking. She'd seen the news bulletin on an explosion in National City, and the footage of men and women in all black confirmed her suspicions that Kara's agency was involved. Since then, there had been no word from Kara. She needed to know that the hero was okay. After an hour of pacing, she had finally broken down and retrieved Alex's number from her phone. She hated to beg for information, but she was terrified. Kara had to be okay.

Alex picked up on the third ring. "Cat. Kara's hurt."

Cat felt her legs wobbling beneath her, and quickly stumbled over to a chair. "How bad, Alex?" she asked in a shaking voice.

"Pretty bad, but we think she'll make a full recovery."

"Alex," Cat said, her voice breaking, "I need to be with her. I can't… I can't just sit here. Please let me come."

Alex's heart melted at the woman's desperate pleas. "I'll send someone for you," she said. "Cat, she's going to be okay. She's strong."

"Thanks, Alex," Cat responded gratefully.

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Cat opened the door, and stepped backward in surprise. "Lucy? When Alex said she'd send someone, I didn't expect it to be you."

Lucy shrugged. "I know where the base is, so she figured it'd be quicker than sending an agent out to get you. And she knew I would want to come."

Cat nodded. She called out a goodbye to Carter and his nanny, and then followed Lucy to her car. "Thanks, Lucy," she said, grateful that a colleague – no, a friend – was going to accompany her.

"My pleasure, Cat," Lucy said. "Although I have to admit I was surprised to hear that the two of you have gotten so… close," she said, smiling slightly. "It's about damn time."

"Lucy, it's not like that," Cat objected. "We're friends. Becoming very good friends. I care about her."

"Trust me," Lucy said, "I've seen exactly how much the two of you 'care' about each other. And like I said, it's about damn time."

"Lucy, you're my lawyer," Cat objected. "Surely you have some better legal advice to offer than that."

Lucy laughed. "Cat, there's no rule against the two of you dating. There are going to be people who judge both of you for it, but legally speaking, you just need to disclose your relationship."

"There is no relationship!"

"So you've said," Lucy responded. "Just let me know when that changes, so that I can make sure we alert HR."

Cat shook her head and gave up on this conversation.

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Alex met them at the entrance, and led them to where Kara was being treated. Cat gasped at the sight of the hero – of Kara – attached to so many tubes and monitors. "Trust me," Alex said, "it looks worse than it is. The injuries are bad, but she's already starting to heal. Her powers are almost back. Do you see the lights all around her? That's a sun bed. Sunlight recharges her powers."

Lucy frowned. "What are her injuries?"

Alex sighed. "Damage to her spinal cord, most of the bones in her body are broken, collapsed lung… those are the highlights. She was trapped in a building when a bomb went off."

"How the hell did she get left in there? All your agents got out!" Cat needed to be angry with someone, and Alex was an easy target.

"Cat, there's a substance that weakens her, and it was in one of the rooms. No one knew it was there, so no one saw collapse." She looked at Cat sadly. "Believe me, I've asked myself the same question a hundred times already."

Cat nodded, feeling slightly guilty for insinuating that it was Alex's fault. "I'm sorry, Alex. I'm just worried about her."

"You and me both," Alex said, smiling weakly. Sensing the woman's vulnerability, she pulled Cat into a hug. Lucy cringed, sure that Cat would push Alex away, but she was surprised to see the older woman pull Alex closer and hug her back. "She's going to be okay, Cat. I promise," said Alex.

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A couple of hours later, the patient was still asleep, and Cat had pulled up a chair next to Kara while Alex worked around her. Lucy had gone home, asking Alex to text her with updates.

"Cat, she's looking better," Alex said. "The spinal cord is basically healed, and so is the collapsed lung. Her body is working on the broken bones now. It's an amazing thing to watch."

Cat said nothing, resting her head on the hero's chest in relief. Suddenly, she heard a moan from beneath her, and yanked her head up in fear. Kara's eyes flickered open. "Cat?" she said hopefully.

"I'm right here, Kara," Cat said softly, squeezing the hand she'd been holding.

"What– I don't remember–" Kara began, trying to formulate a question.

Alex stepped closer. "Kara, you were caught in a room with Kryptonite, and a bomb exploded."

Kara nodded, remembering the green glow just before she'd lost consciousness. "Did I break every bone in my body or something? It really hurts," she said, trying to keep the whine out of her voice.

Alex laughed grimly. "Pretty much," she acknowledged. "Your body's working on healing, but it'll take a little while. Do you want me to see if I can get you something to help with the pain?"

Kara nodded. "Please," she said in a small voice, and Alex's heart broke at the desperation in her voice.

"Okay, Kara. Try to sleep, and I'll get something for you."

"I'll try," responded Kara. She looked at the woman next to her. "Cat? I'm really glad you're here."

Cat smiled. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

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By dinnertime, Kara had made significant progress. Her body was mostly healed, but she was weak and exhausted. She slept through the afternoon, waking up for only a few moments at a time. Alex had calmed down once she realized that Kara was healing, and had been able to get some work done in her lab, knowing that Cat would summon her if necessary. She noted with amusement that Cat never once left Kara's side.

Alex turned to Cat. "I think we should keep her here overnight, in the sun bed. In the morning, we'll get her set up at home, where she can get some real sunlight on her balcony."

"You're letting her sit on the balcony in that neighborhood? No way. It's not safe. She's coming to my house. I have an expansive balcony," Cat declared.

Alex smiled, having fully expected Cat to find a reason to object. "Okay, Cat. Is it all right if we bring some portable sun lamps to your house, in case we decide she needs more light tomorrow night?"

"Of course. We'll set her up in one of the guest rooms." Cat paused, and then added, "And Alex, I have several extra rooms, if you want to come keep an eye on her." She wasn't sure how the agent would feel about staying at her house, but she wanted to make sure that she didn't separate the two sisters. She knew how important Alex was to Kara, and assumed the feeling was mutual.

"Thank you," Alex said in surprise. "I might do that. Let's see how she's feeling tomorrow. For tonight, you should think about going home and getting some sleep."

Cat shook her head quickly. She knew exactly what would happen if she went to sleep without Kara tonight, given the stressfulness of the day. Of course, Alex had no idea that she and Kara were spending nights together, or that Cat needed Kara to avoid having nightmares, so her refusal would probably seem strange. But there was no way Cat would get any sleep, so she might as well be here for Kara if needed.

Alex regarded the older woman for a moment. She'd known, from what Kara had said, that Cat wasn't sleeping well on her own. And after Kara's reference to a traumatic incident on Monday, Alex had done a little research. Scanning the police reports had unearthed one description that seemed to fit, of an unnamed woman being kidnapped and sexually assaulted, and then saved by Supergirl. For Cat's sake, Alex hoped she was wrong, but the pieces seemed to fit.

Now, Cat was refusing to go home, and Alex would bet her life that it was because the woman was afraid to sleep alone. Alex searched desperately for a way to offer the woman some comfort. Finally, she said, "I think maybe I'll stay here too. I'm not going to sleep well tonight anyway. The threat of losing Kara will give me nightmares." That statement might well be true, but more importantly, it was her way of opening the door for a more personal conversation.

Cat nodded. Alex had no idea how close she was to stating Cat's own issues, but the agent's honesty was comforting nonetheless. "I was so afraid of losing her. I think I'm too on-edge to sleep tonight."

Alex was encouraged by the response. Cat wasn't hiding her feelings for Kara. She went with that, and played dumb. "Cat, how are the two of you doing? The last I knew, you were going to spend some time together as friends. How is that going?"

"She's amazing," Cat said softly. "And way too good for me." She stared at the agent. "But don't pretend that you didn't already interrogate Kara about the current status of our relationship. There's no way you spent a morning together and didn't find time to grill her."

Alex laughed. This woman was good. "I did," she acknowledged, grinning, "but she didn't tell me much. Only that she had spent time with you and Carter, and that the two of you were spending your nights together, as friends. She wouldn't elaborate on how or why that came about."

Cat rolled her eyes at the agent. "You'd make a good reporter," she acknowledged. She offered a little more information. "Kara's helping me sleep. I don't sleep well when I'm alone, and of course Kara wants to do whatever she can to help."

"Of course she does," Alex said, smiling, "but she also gets a chance to hold you in her arms, which is something she wants more than just about anything else in the world. I think both of you are probably pretty happy with the arrangement."

"I don't want to mess it up," Cat said quietly. "I'm afraid to say anything about it, afraid that Kara will come to her senses." Why was she telling Alex this? There was something about Alex – the two of them had connected right away. Maybe it was their love for Kara, or just each woman's ability to see right through the walls that the other one had constructed. But she knew, somehow, that her worries were safe with Alex, and that the agent would respond in an honest and thoughtful way.

"I don't think Kara will let you mess it up, and she's not going to change her mind about you. She's pretty stubborn about things like that. She's not going to let you shut her out." Alex smiled, and looked at the older woman. "You don't have to be perfect, Cat. You just have to trust her a little bit. And there's no one easier to trust than Kara. Talk to her."

"She knows me better than I know myself," Cat admitted. "She seems to know when to back off and let me sulk for a while, and when to push a little bit. But no matter what, she's always there when I need her."

"That's Kara in a nutshell," responded Alex. "Always there for you."


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, they loaded Kara into a vehicle, along with a number of sun lamps, and headed to Cat's apartment. Kara's whole body still ached, and she was tired and cranky. Once she heard that she was going to Cat's apartment, however, her mood brightened considerably. Alex rolled her eyes, and Cat smiled.

When they reached Cat's building, they wheeled Kara into the elevator, and a couple of DEO agents followed behind them, carrying the lamps. They were met at the door by Jess, Carter's nanny, who had stayed overnight with Cat's son. She told them that Carter was still sleeping, and Cat thanked her for staying. "Anytime, Cat," she said smiling. "I'm glad Kara is doing better. Do you need me to stay?"

Cat shook her head. "I'll be home for the day. Go get some sleep," she said. She cringed at the thought of Kara showing up still wearing the super-suit – Jess now realized that Supergirl and Kara were the same person. Perhaps she had already known. But Carter's nanny could keep a secret.

Cat pointed the agents to one of the guest bedrooms, and they arranged the lamps around the bed. Kara would spend the day outside, however, and get some real sunlight. Before they brought Kara outside, Cat pointed out that they should probably help her change into more comfortable clothing. She had asked Lucy to drop off an outfit for Kara. She and Alex helped Kara to put on sweatpants and a t-shirt, and Cat carefully avoided staring at Kara's gorgeous body, although she couldn't help a few quick glances. She was only human, after all. Once Kara was changed, they brought her outside and settled her into a recliner. "Sleep well, Kara," Cat said, smiling at the superhero and kissing her on the cheek. Alex grinned, but made no comment.

Alex went to pick up a few necessities – clothing and toiletries for herself and Kara. Cat, meanwhile, began to prepare enough food for a ravenous superhero, assuming that Kara would wake up soon enough and need to eat.

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Carter woke up to the smell of pancakes, and smiled happily. His mom must be home. He hoped that meant that Kara was here too. Apparently, she had been injured, and although he didn't know the details, he'd been worried about her. He got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen, wrapping his arms around his mother from behind. "Mom, I missed you," he said, feeling slightly awkward. "How's Kara?"

Cat smiled at the heartwarming display of affection from her son. They were getting less and less frequent, and she treasured those rare moments when Carter initiated the contact. "Kara's doing much better. She's still very tired, but she's out on the balcony, sleeping in the recliner. I thought both of you could use a big breakfast."

Carter grinned. "I'm glad she's here. It'll be nice to take care of her, for once."

Cat paled and stuttered, "I don't– I'm not sure what you mean by that."

"Oh please," Carter said. "She's saved you… how many times now?"

"Carter, I think you're confusing Kara with–"

"Just stop, mom," he chastised. "I've known who she was ever since you had her watch me that day. And if I hadn't already been sure, all I had to do was see the way she looks at you. Supergirl looks at you the same way."

"How, exactly, does Kara look at her?" Alex said, entering the room. She'd been listening to this conversation in the doorway, but she couldn't resist asking the question, if only for her own amusement.

"Like my mom is the center of her universe," Carter said, grinning.

"Carter, this is Kara's sister Alex," Cat said, ignoring the flutter in her chest at Carter's declaration.

"Hi Carter," Alex said, smiling. "I like you already, even if you are too smart for your own good. Now let's talk more about this thing between Cat and Kara."

Carter laughed, and Cat couldn't help but stare for a moment, unaccustomed to seeing Carter warm up to anyone so quickly, especially an adult. "Alex, you should see the way they look at each other. It's nauseating. And neither one wants to say anything, so they just keep staring at each other."

Alex laughed. "Believe me, Carter, I've seen it too. You should've seen your mom sitting there clinging to Kara's hand. And when we told Kara she was coming here today, her whole face lit up. They'll figure it out eventually." She rolled her eyes. "So tell me more about you. Kara says you're a budding scientist?"

Carter smiled and talked about his upcoming science fair project as they dug into some pancakes. Alex was impressed by the depth of his knowledge, and asked him to elaborate on a few details. Finally she offered, "You know, I bet you could use some of the equipment at my lab to get more accurate results. Not for the science fair, but just because it seems like that would interest you."

Carter looked up. "You work in a lab? I thought Kara said her sister was a federal agent."

"Well," Alex admitted, "I'm kind of both. But maybe I could take you to my lab sometime."

"That'd be awesome," Carter said, smiling.

Cat looked at Alex and sent her an equally warm smile. Nothing made her happier than seeing her son open up to someone, and Alex had connected with him instantly. "How does your family do it?" Cat asked, shaking her head. "We just can't seem to resist the Danvers sisters."

Alex laughed. "I could say the same thing about the two of you. Kara absolutely adores both of you, and I'm starting to feel the same way."

"Carter, do you want to bring breakfast out to Kara? She needs to eat something." Cat thought he might like a chance to talk with Kara, and verify for himself that she was okay.

Carter's eyes lit up. Cat handed him a plate piled high with pancakes and a container of syrup, and he hurried out to the balcony to see Kara.

After watching Carter leave, Cat came up behind Alex and squeezed her shoulders, in a rare display of affection. "You know, I'm glad I met both of you," she murmured. "I didn't think I'd like you as much as I do."

"The feeling is mutual," Alex said, smiling warmly. Before they'd met, Alex had never expected to develop a friendship with the boss her sister had complained so much about. But once she met Cat, she realized the woman was nothing like what she'd expected. Sure, Cat could be cold and calculating, but it was only to protect her own vulnerability. In reality, Cat was thoughtful, caring, and generous, and Alex had developed enormous respect for the older woman. "I really want things between you and Kara to work out. The two of you are good for each other."

"Alex," Cat sighed, "I really don't know if that's going to happen. I have a lot of baggage, and I'm not sure I want to put Kara through that. I think maybe we're better off as friends."

"Okay, first of all, you're already more than friends," Alex pointed out. "Even Carter sees how you look at each other. I think it's time you acknowledge that, and give yourself a chance to find out where this is going. But Cat, Kara has her share of baggage too. Imagine losing your whole world as a child, and having to start over on another planet, with powers you don't know how to handle. And then finding out that you're twenty-four years late, and didn't fulfill the one responsibility you'd been given."

"Wait, hold on," Cat said. "What do you mean, she was twenty-four years late?"

"She got caught in the Phantom Zone." At Cat's alarmed look, she continued. "Kara is actually older than Superman. But Kara's planet exploded just after her pod left, and the blast knocked her into the Phantom Zone. For more than two decades, she got stuck in this place where time doesn't pass. I guess she slept most of the time, but when she first got to Earth, she freaked out about the idea of going to sleep, because she was afraid of being stuck there again. Anyway, her ship somehow escaped, but when she landed on Earth, twenty-four years had passed. Her parents told her they were sending her here to take care of her baby cousin, but he was all grown up by the time she arrived. She felt like she had failed."

Cat shook her head. "I can't even imagine," she said softly, trying to absorb everything that Alex had said.

Alex nodded, and continued. "She struggled with a lot of things when she first got here. It's amazing to see how far she's come. Cat, she's the strongest person I know."

Alex sighed, and went to close the kitchen door, so they wouldn't be caught unaware if Carter came back inside. "But – and Cat, I'm telling you this because I trust you – she's still a little nervous about having a physical relationship with anyone. She's afraid of losing control."

Cat nodded thoughtfully. "I can understand that, but she has to know I won't push her into anything she's not ready for."

Alex smiled. Cat was talking as if a physical relationship was inevitable, which was highly encouraging. "I know. I think both of you need for this to move slowly. That's one of the reasons I think you would be really good for each other."

"Alex, I've had far more than my share of physical relationships," Cat said ruefully. "They don't usually mean much to me."

"That's even more of a reason to move slowly, Cat. This is different, and you know it. Take your time, and let it develop into something more than what you've had."

Cat shook her head. "I can't believe I'm talking to you about this, telling Kara's sister what a slut I am."

"Hey!" Alex responded. "Don't you dare talk about my friend like that!" She took Cat's hand. "Cat, you have to know that I don't care about your past history, right? I know that relationships haven't been easy for you, and I suspect you coped with them in the same way I do – one-night stands that don't mean anything. This is a chance for you to find something different, and I think it'll be more than worth it. Give yourself a chance."

Cat was surprised to hear Alex admit to having her own issues with relationships. They really did have a lot in common. She felt her heart swelling with love for this woman, whom she'd barely met a week ago, but who'd quickly become an indispensable part of her life. She squeezed Alex's hand, and said, "Thanks, Alex. I'm so glad I got the chance to spend time with you. You're pretty amazing."

Carter knocked on the door to the kitchen, hesitant to enter without announcing his presence first. Cat got up to open the door. Grinning, Carter displayed an empty plate. "I've never seen anyone eat so many pancakes. She could barely talk, she was eating so fast." He looked at the two women. "Is everything okay?"

He was wondering why the door had been closed, Cat knew. She smiled at her adorable son. "Everything's fine, Carter. Alex and I were just talking about Kara."

Carter nodded, apparently satisfied with that explanation. "She looks tired, mom, but she said she was fine. Is she really okay?"

"She's okay, Carter," Alex responded. "She sustained some major injuries, but her body heals quickly. She just needs time to recover."

"And she's staying here while she gets better?" Carter asked hopefully. "Alex, are you staying too?" He tried to contain his excitement.

"That's right, Carter," Cat said, amused by his excitement. "They would both like to stay, if it's okay with you."

"Cool," Carter said, feigning nonchalance.

Cat and Alex shared an amused smile. "Thanks, Carter," Alex said.

"Can we all watch a movie together tonight?" Carter asked hopefully.

"Well, that depends, Carter," Alex responded. At his uncertain look, she said, "It's not going to be some sappy romance, is it? Because Kara's always trying to get me to watch those, and I don't think I can take another one right now."

Carter laughed. "I bet she is. Come on, let's pick out a good one." He grabbed her hand and led her toward the living room. Cat smiled fondly at the pair of them as they left, chattering excitedly.


	17. Chapter 17

Carter and Alex spent much of the day together. After discovering that they were evenly matched on Carter's PlayStation and liked the same kinds of games, they were inseparable. When Kara found out that Alex was playing Call of Duty with Carter, she rolled her eyes. "You won't see them for the rest of the day. Once Alex gets going, there's no stopping her."

She and Cat ate lunch together, and Cat was relieved to see that Kara was feeling much better. When Cat asked if there was still any pain, Kara responded that there was a dull ache, but nothing that really bothered her. Her body was nearly healed, and now she just had to overcome the tiredness. She felt well enough to walk around the apartment, and the two of them went inside for a few minutes to watch the spectacle of Alex and Carter. Cat sat down on the couch, and pulled Kara down next to her. The younger woman leaned against Cat, and they wrapped their arms around each other.

Cat sighed happily. She had missed this. It had only been a couple of days, but she had desperately missed being in Kara's arms. When had she become so addicted to Kara's touch? The idea disturbed her, even as she snuggled more tightly into the embrace. She felt Kara lean over to brush soft lips against her cheek, and her breath caught at the unexpected gesture.

Without turning around, Carter said, "If the two of you start making out on that couch I'm going to freak out."

Alex grinned, and responded, "Oh, please. Neither one of them has the guts to even kiss the other one. We're stuck watching them stare dreamily at each other." She ducked the pillow that she knew Kara would throw at her head.

Cat knew a dare when she heard it. She tilted Kara's head toward her own, and inched forward until their lips were almost touching. She could feel Kara's sharp intake of breath, and she murmured to the younger woman, "Are you ready to prove your sister wrong?" At Kara's smile, she touched her lips to the younger woman's, placing a soft, gentle kiss on Kara's lips. She wrapped one arm around the back of Kara's neck and pulled the woman closer, and their lips began a patient, tantalizing exploration. Tongues joined the slow, teasing journey, and mouths parted in invitation. The two women forgot anyone else was in the room, focused as they were on each other. Arms gripped tightly as Cat fell backward onto the couch, with Kara landing on top of her and deepening the kiss.

Suddenly, they felt a pillow whack them in the heads. "I told you not to do that!" Carter said pleadingly.

"Oops," Kara murmured, breaking the kiss but looking far too happy to be embarrassed about it. Cat grinned, and told Carter they would do their best to avoid traumatizing him further. The two women reluctantly sat up, but kept their arms around each other. This was a new step in their relationship – publicly acknowledging their feelings for each other – and even though it was just Alex and Carter, it still felt like a relief.

Cat and Kara spent the afternoon on the balcony. Cat was exhausted, having not slept the night before, and Kara was still recovering. So when Cat snuggled in next to Kara on a recliner, it didn't take long for the two of them to fall asleep.

At one point, Alex and Carter took a break between games and went outside to check on Kara. When they saw the two women curled up together, asleep on a recliner, they both grinned with happiness and crept back inside. Alex was pleased that they were finally acknowledging their relationship, and Carter was just thrilled to see his mom so happy.

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After dinner, the four of them spent the night watching movies and joking good-naturedly with each other. Cat and Kara sat on one couch, while Alex and Carter took the other. Kara lasted about half an hour into the first movie, and then she fell asleep, and was passed on Cat's shoulder for the rest of the night. Carter seemed thrilled that his new friend was spending the evening with them. Cat smiled warmly at the two of them, and wished suddenly that she could find someone who made Alex as happy as Kara was making her. If anyone deserved that, it was Alex.

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Late that night, Alex got a call from the DEO, and whatever she heard on the other end of the phone had her scrambling to get ready to go. "Is everything okay?" Cat asked.

"I'm not sure," Alex said. "I need to go."

The conversation woke Kara up. "What's wrong, Alex?" she asked sleepily.

"I'll tell you as soon as I know for sure. Hank didn't give me much information." Alex wasn't about to tell Kara that the phone call involved Astra. Kara didn't need to know that right now, when she wasn't strong enough to do anything about it. Alex would brief her once she had all the information. "Cat, Carter, thanks for letting me stay here. I'm not sure whether or not I'll be back tonight."

Cat had already gotten up to give Alex a key. "Here – for whenever you get back. I already alerted the doorman. Make sure you get some sleep, Alex. You were up all night last night."

'You were?" Kara asked, concerned.

"I'll be careful, Kara. I don't think this will take long tonight. See you later."

"That was odd," Kara murmured when the door had closed. "There's something she's not telling me."

Cat, who had come to the exact same conclusion, said, "Maybe she really just doesn't know what's going on yet."

Kara nodded uncertainly.

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"We caught her in front of Kara's apartment. I've had a couple of agents stationed there, in case any of the Kryptonians showed up there. After their attempt on her life, I assumed someone would try to finish the job. It's strange, though. She didn't resist at all. She just wanted to know if Kara is okay. I tried to talk with her, but she just kept demanding to see Kara."

"Let me try," Alex said. "She knows I have a connection with Kara. Maybe she'll talk to me."

Hank nodded, and Alex went to visit the newest prisoner.

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"You are not my niece," Astra said by way of greeting.

"No," Alex acknowledged, "but I'm the closest you're going to get to seeing her."

Astra regarded Alex with interest. "The two of you are close," she stated. It was not a question, and Alex did not acknowledge it with a response. Instead, she stared silently at the general. After a moment of studying Alex, Astra nodded, apparently having decided the woman was worth her time. "How is Kara?"

"She is recovering, no thanks to you," Alex said bitterly.

Astra shook her head. "That was not my doing. Had I known what they had planned, I would have warned my niece. I did not want to see her killed, particularly in that way."

Alex was having a hard time believing that this woman, whom she'd seen attacking her sister, would have helped Kara to avoid this trap. But she knew that her job here was to extract as much information as possible. "Who is 'they'? I thought you were in charge of this army?"

"I was," said Astra flatly, "until my husband chose to go behind my back. He believed that I had become too soft to lead, and undermined my authority. There was no honor in his actions." She looked closely at Alex. "You understand that it is a risk for me to tell you this. I am giving away valuable information. But I no longer share my husband's thirst for bloodshed. I will not be a party to that. I wish to help you."

Alex regarded her critically. "Why should we believe you? You took me hostage. You tried to kill Kara."

"I do not expect you to believe me. I simply ask that you allow me to see my niece. I would like to talk to her."

"Kara is in no condition to see you right now, and I'm not inclined to tell her you're here. It's the last thing she needs to deal with as she recovers."

"I am at your mercy," Astra responded. "I allowed myself to be captured, and I ask for nothing more than a chance to talk with Kara. Please, at least tell her I am here."

Alex regarded Astra carefully. She knew that the general was an accomplished liar, but she sensed no deception in the woman's words. Her only concern seemed to be for Kara. Alex was hesitant to tell Kara of this development – she knew that her sister had hope for Astra's redemption, and was afraid of getting her hopes up. However, she owed it to her sister to allow Kara to make her own decisions. She reluctantly said, "Once she is feeling better, I'll let her know."

Astra nodded in relief. "Agent?" she asked. "What is your name?"

"Alex," she said curtly. She did not want to give her last name, knowing that Astra would make the connection with Kara.

"Thank you, Alex."

Alex nodded. "Don't make me regret this decision."

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When it was time for bed, Cat guided a sleepy Kara to the guest bedroom that had been set up with sun lamps. "No," Kara said firmly. "I've had enough sun for one day. I'm sleeping with you tonight."

Cat knew she should argue with Kara's decision. The sun lamps were good for her, and would help her heal faster. But she just couldn't bring herself to object, desperate as she was for Kara's embrace. She smiled at the younger woman, took her hand, and led her to the master bedroom. They got into bed, and Kara instantly pulled Cat into her arms. "Did you sleep at all last night, Cat?"

"I didn't really try," Cat admitted. "Your sister stayed up all night with me, though. She's an amazing woman."

Kara smiled at the thought that Alex was looking out for Cat. "She's pretty great," Kara acknowledged. "But now you need to sleep. Can I kiss you good night first?"

In response, Cat pulled Kara close, and initiated a devastatingly slow, gentle kiss. Kara had never experienced anything like the way that Cat kissed her, like her lips were softly and methodically caressing Kara's own, and the younger woman moaned at the incredible sensations. Tongues soon joined the slow exploration, and both women took their time, never wanting to end this tantalizing, amazing journey. Over time, their kisses grew in intensity, and tongues began to war for dominance in a battle that neither woman wanted to end. Cat pushed Kara onto her back, and slid her body closer as she attacked Kara's mouth with her own. Desperate for even more closeness, Cat slid a leg in between Kara's thighs, and heard the woman gasp at the pressure she had been so desperately craving. Cat wanted to rip the clothing off of Kara's body, and kiss every inch of that gorgeous skin, using her hands and mouth to bring Kara to heights of pleasure that the woman had never even imagined. But in some small corner of her mind, she knew that wasn't a good idea. "Damn it, Kara, you make me lose control of myself," she murmured weakly.

"Cat, I love when you lose control," Kara breathed, and Cat had to force herself not to let desire overwhelm her better judgment.

"No, we need to take this slowly," Cat responded, and Kara reluctantly nodded in agreement. They shared a few more soft kisses, and eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, Cat woke up early, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast for Kara, Carter, and Alex. She was scrambling some eggs when Alex walked in, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Cat smiled and poured a cup of coffee for the exhausted agent. "How did it go last night?" she inquired, wondering whether Alex would fill her in on whatever she'd been keeping from Kara.

Alex blew out a breath, and shook her head. "This may not be easy."

Cat turned around and looked at Alex, waiting silently for her to continue.

"Did Kara ever mention her Aunt Astra to you?" Alex inquired.

"No," Cat said. "Is she someone who died on Krypton?"

Alex shook her head. "Until recently, Kara thought so, but she's still alive. She's Kara's mother's twin, and she and Kara were very close on Krypton. But she was imprisoned on Fort Roz – by Kara's mother, which Kara just learned. Fort Roz crashed on Earth at the same time as Kara's pod, freeing all of its prisoners. Recently, Astra turned up, and has been working against Kara. They've fought a couple of times, but Kara believes that her aunt is coming around to our side. She always wants to see the best in people."

Imagine, Cat thought, thinking that your family member was dead, only to learn that she was alive, and fighting against you. Kara had already endured so much. "So what happened?" she asked, knowing that this story must be leading somewhere.

"After the latest attempt on Kara's life, Astra allowed herself to be captured by our agents. She said that she hadn't known what her husband was planning, and she didn't want to see Kara killed. She wants to talk to Kara, and she wants to help us."

Cat sighed. "You're right. This won't be easy." She looked closely at Alex. "Do you believe her?"

"She's a trained assassin," Alex responded. "Lying comes easily to her. But she seemed genuine to me." She shrugged. "The problem, of course, is that Kara is going to want to believe her, so we're going to have to figure this out before she can hurt Kara."

Cat nodded thoughtfully. Then she said, "Let me help. I've made a career out of reading people. Can you bring her here, so we can all talk to her?"

"It's possible," Alex said slowly. "I'll see what I can do. Cat, is Kara healthy enough for this?"

"Let's see how she feels this morning," Cat responded, "but I think so. She knows you were keeping something from her last night, so the sooner we tell her, the better."

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When breakfast was ready, Cat and Alex brought Kara a tray of food, and then sat on the bed, on either side of Kara, to talk with her while she ate. Kara was concerned enough that she paused, mid-bite, to ask what was going on.

Alex sighed, and began to explain. "Kara, your aunt allowed herself to be captured yesterday. She was at your apartment, looking for you, because she wanted to know if you were okay." At Kara's shocked look, she paused to squeeze Kara's hand, and then continued. "She said that the plot to kill you was Non's idea, and that she hadn't known anything about it. She wants to talk to you, and she said she wants to help us."

Alex's heart sank at Kara's hopeful expression. If this was a trick, then Kara was going to be devastated. Still, she had to trust Kara to make her own decisions.

Cat could see the battle raging within Alex's mind, so she took charge, to remind Alex that they were in this together. She said gently, "Kara, you're not leaving this apartment until you're feeling better. But maybe Alex can bring your aunt here?"

"Can you do that, Alex?" Kara asked, almost pleading.

Alex nodded. "I'll get Hank to come with me. We'll use some Kryptonite cuffs. We can figure it out."

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"Hello, Little One," Astra said quietly.

"Aunt Astra," Kara said, her voice wavering slightly. "I heard you wanted to talk to me."

Astra was standing in the entrance to the living room, where Cat and Kara were seated on the couch. Alex and Hank had blindfolded the alien and placed Kryptonite cuffs on her arms and legs before transporting her to Cat's apartment. Now that they were here, the blindfold had been removed, but the cuffs remained in place.

Cat gestured Astra to a seat opposite them, and then took Kara's hand gently in her own. "I'm Cat Grant," she said to Astra, offering no further explanation for why she was here.

Astra sat, and regarded her with curiosity, noting the joined hands. "You are Kara's boss," she stated.

"I'm here as Kara's friend," Cat corrected. "She wants to believe in you, but I am not convinced that you've earned that chance."

Astra nodded in acceptance. "I have made many mistakes in my lifetime, but my treatment of Kara is my biggest regret. You are wise to doubt my intentions. But the bomb was not my idea. My husband did not tell me what he had planned. If he had, I would have found a way to warn you, Little One."

"Why should we believe that?" Alex demanded.

"Because I am here now," Astra pointed out. "You know that your agents could never have arrested me if I had not agreed to surrender. Why would I voluntarily give up my freedom?"

Kara had been silent, listening to Astra talk. Now she said quietly, "Why did you give yourself up?"

"Non has taken control of our army, and I fear for this planet and both of our races. He will destroy us all. His thirst for blood is unquenchable."

Kara nodded, seemingly convinced. "What can I do?" she asked.

"I do not know if it can be stopped. But I will tell you what I know about Myriad. We need to find a way to prevent it."

"Myriad?" repeated Cat, confused and skeptical. "Kara, this woman tried to kill you, more than once. Why should we believe her now?"

"Because, Cat," Kara said, "I've never lost faith in her. She was my hero, growing up on Krypton, and I knew she would become that woman again. I believe in her."

"Oh, Little One, I am far from a hero," Astra said sadly. "But I would like the chance to atone for some of my mistakes."

Suddenly, Kara got up, and slowly made her way over to Astra. She knelt down next to the older woman, and murmured, "I've missed you so much. Even more since I found out you were alive." She wrapped her arms around her aunt. Astra was unable to hug back, restrained by the cuffs, but she leaned into the embrace, and both women felt tears streaming down their cheeks.

After a few moments, Kara sank to the ground, unable to withstand the drain of the Kryptonite cuffs in her weakened state. Cat ran over and grabbed her tightly, guiding her away from the source of the energy drain, and holding on to the Kryptonian as she rubbed a hand up and down Kara's back. She was relieved when the color began to return to Kara's face, and she was able to pull herself up onto the couch.

After getting over her initial worry for Kara, Astra watched the interaction with curiosity. These two were more than friends. Kara had found a human mate. This was fascinating. She liked this confident, brash woman, and found herself pleased by Kara's choice. She wanted to know more about this woman.

Alex and Cat glanced at each other, and both nodded slightly. This woman, despite her obvious flaws, seemed genuine, and neither one was willing to defy Kara's wishes. Alex sighed, and said, "Tell us what you know about Myriad."

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After hearing the details about the plan for Myriad, Cat agreed to lend Winn to the DEO for as long as they needed him. She also suggested that it might be time to team up with Max Lord.

Alex protested, "Max Lord doesn't team up with anyone!"

Hank, however, said that Max owed the DEO his services after nearly getting Supergirl killed.

"That was Max?" Cat responded, horrified.

"He uncovered information that he thought was valid while investigating the hack on his technology. He believed he had traced the source."

"They planted a false lead there, hoping he would find it," Alex said, shaking her head. "And his carelessness nearly got Kara killed."

"I am truly sorry, Little One," Astra said softly. "I was unaware of their plans."

"I know, Aunt Astra. It's not your fault," Kara responded. "Alex, could we, maybe… I mean, Aunt Astra is obviously helping us. Do you think we could maybe remove some of the cuffs?"

"Do not worry, Little One. I am fine," Astra declared.

"I know, but…" Kara sighed. "Could we at least take them all off for a minute, so I can have a real hug?"

Alex badly wanted to say no. She wanted to protect Kara from the potential dangers, whether that meant Astra's physical strength right now or Astra's presence in her heart. But she needed to have faith in Kara, and allow her to make her own decisions. And the pleading look in Kara's eyes was Alex's personal Kryptonite.

She frowned, and growled to Astra, "Don't make me regret this." She unlocked the leg handcuffs, and then the arms, and carried them far enough away from Astra to minimize any effect it had on Kara. She carefully avoided Hank's eyes, knowing how he would feel about this breach of security.

Astra took a couple of steps forward, and Alex eyed her warily. She probably couldn't take down a full-strength Astra, but she was more than willing to try. "Easy, Brave One," Astra said, seeing her tense. "I do not wish to harm Kara." She wrapped her arms around the younger Kryptonian, and the two of them sank into each other's arms. Astra closed her eyes, knowing that no matter what she had to endure as a prisoner of the DEO, it would all be worth it for this one moment.

For Kara, this was a moment beyond her wildest dreams. When Krypton had exploded, she thought she'd lost Astra forever. Then she discovered her aunt was alive, and Astra attacked her almost immediately. To find the woman who'd meant so much to her during her first twelve years, and be able to hug her again – it was almost too much to comprehend. Kara found herself sobbing tears of loss, sadness, and joy, while Astra stroked her hair and whispered phrases of comfort in Kryptonian.

Watching the exchange, Alex and Cat struggled to keep their own tears from falling. Their hearts broke for Kara, knowing how much she'd lost and how much this moment meant to her. And they could clearly see, from Astra's reaction, that trusting her had been the right choice.

When Kara had calmed down, Astra kissed her gently on the forehead, and let her go. "Little One, I have missed so much of your life. I hope to have a chance to make it up to you."

Kara smiled. "Aunt Astra, you're here now, and that's all that matters."

Astra turned to face Alex, and put her arms out to receive the handcuffs. Alex quickly locked her wrists into the cuffs, and then secured her legs. She grasped Astra's hand, and quietly said, "Thank you."

Astra looked at her in surprise, and said, "Thank YOU, Brave One." Clearly, Alex and Kara were close. She had so much to learn about Kara's life.

Alex smiled at the unspoken question. After all Astra had done for Kara today, she wanted to offer the woman something. As she led Astra toward the door, she said quietly, "Kara is my sister. My family took her in when she landed. If you'd like, I can show you some pictures."

Astra smiled gratefully at Alex. "I would like that very much."


	19. Chapter 19

When they had returned to the DEO, Alex spent some time with Astra, sharing stories of Kara's childhood. She described Kara's initial struggle to fit in, and how hard it had been for her to learn to harness her powers. She talked about how their relationship had developed, from her initial embarrassment about her awkward sister to today, when she considered Kara her best friend. She reminisced, smiling, about Kara's first taste of pizza.

"What is pizza?"

Alex's mouth fell open. "Please tell me that you've at least had ice cream," she said.

"I am not familiar with that," Astra admitted. "How does one make cream from ice?"

Alex shook her head in astonishment. How was it even possible that Astra had lived on Earth for so long and never tried those foods? Obviously the woman needed to experience some American culture. "I'll be right back," she said. "I'm going to get some ice cream." She brought Astra three different flavors of ice cream, and enjoyed watching Astra's expression change as she tasted each one. Unfortunately, Astra shared Kara's healthy appetite, and Alex realized she would have to restock her secret stash after Astra devoured all three containers. She decided it was definitely worth it to watch the woman experience her first taste of ice cream.

"I'll bring you pizza some other time," Alex said, smiling. "Now will you tell me about Kara as a young girl? I know the stories she's told me about Krypton, but I'm curious about what she was like."

Astra was delighted to share her memories of Kara. The two of them sat in her cell, talking and laughing, for most of the day. When Alex was finally summoned for DEO business, she was reluctant to leave. Alex hated the thought that she was growing attached to a prisoner, but she knew this was a special case. They had bonded over their love for Kara. As she got up to exit the cell, she smiled warmly at the Kryptonian. "Thanks for sharing your stories. I'll bring in some pictures tomorrow, if you want. And pizza."

"I would like that, Brave One," Astra said, smiling back. She couldn't wait to see this woman again. Alex was unlike any other human she'd met, and she found herself enjoying the moments they spent together. She could see that Kara had found a wonderful family on Earth, and although she was sad to have missed so many years with her niece, the knowledge that Alex had been there was comforting. She was truly exceptional.

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Because it was Monday, Cat had gone to work after their meeting with Astra. She'd made Kara stay home for the day, knowing that the woman needed to rest. It had been a quiet and uneventful day, and she'd been able to catch up despite coming in late that morning. Just as she was readying herself to go home, there was a knock at her door, and she looked up to see the anxious faces of Winn, James, and Lucy.

Lucy took charge. "Cat, we just wanted to check on Kara. I've been getting texts from Alex, but they're not really saying much. Is she doing better?"

Cat smiled. "Kara is feeling much better. I made her stay home today to sleep, but she's almost fully recovered."

The look of relief on their faces was palpable. Seeing that, Cat made a spur-of-the-moment decision. "Do the three of you want to come over for dinner? I think it would mean a lot to Kara." She knew how important these three were to Kara's life, and she thought Kara would love the chance to see them. She would get over her own awkwardness at having employees over for dinner, if it meant making Kara happy. And maybe she'd make Kara even happier and order in Chinese food.

Winn looked terrified, and James seemed unsure, but Lucy accepted the invitation for all three of them. "Cat, we would love to. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Of course it's okay," Cat said, trying to convince herself this wouldn't be awkward. Winn and James didn't know about their relationship. And she didn't associate with her employees outside of CatCo – at least, she hadn't, until Kara. But that reminded her – this was for Kara, and that made it all worth it. "Come in an hour or so. That will give me time to get home and take care of the food."

"Can we bring anything?" Lucy asked politely. Winn and James were standing there looking shell-shocked.

"No, but thank you," Cat said, smiling. "Kara will be thrilled you're coming."

"Okay, see you soon," Lucy responded, grabbing the two men and dragging them away from the door. "You two need to pull yourselves together," she hissed.

"Did you just say we'd have dinner at Ms. Grant's house? Oh my God, she's going to fire me for sure now," Winn said weakly. "There's no way she can spend a whole evening with me and not fire me."

Lucy laughed. "Winn, she won't fire you."

"That's easy for you to say! She actually knows your name!"

"Besides," Lucy offered, "you're going to be working at the DEO starting tomorrow." Winn had been informed of that by Alex, after they learned of an impending threat that had something to do with Max Lord's computer systems. "They'll give you a job there if you need it."

Winn just shook his head, terrified.

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By the time Cat got home, word of her dinner invitation had spread. She walked in the door, and Kara grabbed her in an excited hug. Cat was somewhat alarmed to find herself lifted three feet off the ground, but being in Kara's arms made the experience more than worth it. "Cat, thank you for inviting them! I'm so excited!"

Cat smiled warmly at her superhero. "I'm glad you're excited, and it's good to see your powers returning, but do you think you could put us down now?"

"Oops," Kara said, embarrassed. She lowered them carefully to the ground. "It's just… You have no idea how much this means to me."

Cat grinned. "Don't worry; I expect you to make it up to me later," she said suggestively, then had to laugh at Kara's expression – a mixture of desire and panic. Kara was probably trying to figure out what that entailed. "I'm kidding, Kara. They're your friends, and I wanted to make you happy."

"You always do, Cat," Kara said softly, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. The two of them got lost in the embrace, lips moving softly against each other, and Kara sighed happily as she tightened her grip around Cat.

Alex stood in the doorway for a moment, smiling at the adorable couple. Carter made a strangled noise behind her, and she took pity on him. She declared, "Okay, yesterday it was cute, but now I'm over it. Go find a room, you two."

"Make it stop!" Carter added miserably, hiding behind Alex.

"But Alex, she invited my friends over for dinner!" Kara explained. "Lucy, James, and Winn. I'm just happy."

"Winn's coming?" Carter asked, excitement creeping into his voice. "Do you think maybe we have time for a couple of games on my PlayStation? He's pretty good," Carter said, turning to Alex.

"Oh, I know how good he is," Alex responded, "and we're going make sure there's time for that. Lucy will want to play too."

Kara regarded Alex, whom she hadn't heard come in the door. "How's Astra doing?"

Alex smiled. "The two of us spent most of the day talking about you. I told her stories about you as a teenager, and she told me about growing up on Krypton. And she had her first taste of ice cream."

Kara's mouth dropped open. "She's never had ice cream?" she asked, astonished. "How is that possible?"

"Kara, she didn't even know what ice cream was," Alex said sadly. "Tomorrow I'm introducing her to pizza." Kara shook her head in disbelief, and the look of horror on her face was enough to make all of them giggle. A Kryptonian who'd never had ice cream or pizza? That was worse than imprisonment on Fort Roz.

Cat regarded Alex curiously. "Sounds like the two of you are spending a lot of time together," she observed. This morning, she had come to the conclusion that Astra genuinely wanted to help, and she was thrilled that Kara had reunited with a member of her original family. But Alex was fiercely protective of her sister, and Cat was surprised by Alex's willingness to trust the Kryptonian. Perhaps she shouldn't be – making Kara happy was more important to Alex than anything, and it was clear to all of them how happy Astra made Kara. Either Astra's love for Kara was genuine, or she was the best liar Cat had ever seen.

Alex blushed slightly. She, too, was surprised at her own willingness to trust Astra. She had expected to see the general as her enemy, but the interaction between Astra and Kara had changed everything.

"I like her a lot more than I thought I would. She's a fascinating woman."

"The two of you have a lot in common," Kara said thoughtfully. "You're the bravest people I know. She was my hero growing up, and then you were." She shook her head. "It's so strange to have my two worlds colliding like this. It's amazing and wonderful, but strange." She said softly, "I'm so glad she's here."

"I know, Kara," Alex said, smiling. "I am too."

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Alex and Cat put together an order for Chinese food, and the delivery person arrived just after Kara's friends. James handed Cat a bottle of wine as they entered, and Kara grabbed each friend in a hug. At the sight of Chinese food, she appeared ready to launch herself into the delivery person's arms as well. Instead, she settled for taking the bags of food into the dining room.

They had ordered enough food for a large army, which was good, because Kara singlehandedly ate about a third of it, and Carter ate a significant portion as well. Shockingly, there were leftovers, but everyone in the room knew they would be gone by morning, once Kara got her second wind. Conversation at the table centered around Carter's interests, for which Cat was grateful. They discussed Carter's and Alex's video game prowess, and Lucy and Winn agreed that the four of them needed to get in a couple of games after dinner. Winn brought up a new exhibit at the science museum that he wanted to see, and Carter excitedly announced that he had been there recently with his mom. Carter and Cat proceeded to tell Winn every detail about the exhibit. Winn, Alex, and Kara were enthralled, and Lucy and James were fascinated by Cat's excitement over an astronomy exhibit. Cat was so impressed by Winn's knowledge of the subject that she even called him by his real name a couple of times – a mistake that made Kara smile happily.

James spent much of the meal observing the interactions between Kara and Cat. When Lucy had mentioned that Kara was recovering in Cat's apartment, he'd been somewhat surprised. He knew that Cat had learned the truth about Kara, and that the two were friends again, but he hadn't realized that they had grown that close. But what he was seeing tonight was more than just two friends sharing an apartment. The looks that had passed between them were filled with love, adoration, and something else that he would prefer not to think about. James had developed a crush on Kara, one that he had been careful not to act upon while he figured out things with Lucy, and he realized that now he was too late. Kara was completely taken. He doubted that her feelings for him could ever have been as strong as the ones he observed between the two women. He was happy for them, but the pain in his chest also reminded him that he wasn't being fair to Lucy. He liked Lucy a lot, but she deserved someone who loved her.

After dinner, the battle for PlayStation dominance was on. Winn and Lucy took on Alex and Carter, while Kara, Cat, and James watched in amusement. The two teams were pretty evenly matched, and Alex and Lucy traded insults while Winn and Carter just shook their heads. In the end, Alex and Carter proved to be the superior team – at least for tonight. "Winn, we need to practice. Next time, we're totally winning this," Lucy announced.

"Oh, Winn, you're in trouble now," James said, chuckling. "She'll be having training sessions at 5 a.m. I hope you know what you're getting into."

"Train as much as you want. You still can't beat us," Alex retorted. Carter grinned with pride.

As they put down the controllers, the group finally noticed that Kara had fallen asleep in Cat's lap. Lucy laughed. "You two are adorable. Looks like it's time for us to go."

"You two… What do you mean? What two?" Winn asked Lucy in a panic.

Cat rolled her eyes in a show of exasperation, and then smiled at Lucy. She slid out from underneath Kara to see her guests to the door. "Thank you all for coming," she said. "I know how much it meant to Kara, and I actually had fun too." She sounded somewhat surprised by her own admission. "And Carter will want you to come back every night now."

Winn grinned. "Anytime, Ms. Grant. Your son is amazing. We had a great time." He, too, sounded surprised by that fact.

"Thanks, Cat," Lucy said, and grabbed the older woman in an impulsive hug. "You're the best."

Cat smiled. "Good night, Lucy."


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Cat was still refusing to let Kara come back to work. "You couldn't even stay awake for the PlayStation battle last night," she pointed out. "One more day, Kara. Sleep, and you'll be rested for Wednesday."

Alex cut off Kara's arguments with a suggestion. "Kara, I know what you can do instead. Come with me to the DEO, and spend some time with Astra. We can bring her some pictures, and the two of you can look at them together."

Kara's face lit up, and Cat glanced warily at Alex. She hoped the agent knew what she was doing. But Alex nodded confidently at Cat. She had spent enough time talking with Astra to see the depth of the woman's love for Kara, and she knew this would be good for both of them. They would need to bring Astra out of her cell – Alex was not willing to expose Kara to that much Kryptonite right now – but that could be arranged.

Cat had complete faith in Alex's judgment. If Alex felt this was the right thing to do, then she would accept that. But she couldn't resist a few words of caution. "Remember, Kara, you're still recovering. Half a day at most, and then you need to sleep."

Alex smiled at Cat. "Don't worry. If she's there too long, I'll make her take a nap in the sun bed. She hates that thing."

"Perfect," Cat said, smiling.

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When they arrived at the DEO, Alex made Kara wait while she arranged for security. She outfitted Astra with two Kryptonite ankle bracelets, not very strong, but enough to bring her close to human levels. They would meet in the conference room, and Alex would station herself at the door with a Kryptonite gun. Hopefully, Kara would be unaffected by the Kryptonite on Astra's body, but she was cautioned to keep a little distance between them, just in case. Kara frowned but nodded in understanding. She knew it was non-negotiable.

When Kara entered the conference room, she beamed at the sight of her aunt, and Astra smiled warmly in return. "Aunt Astra, I'm so glad you're here," Kara said. "Are you comfortable? Is everyone treating you okay?"

"I am fine, Little One. Alex has been very kind to me. You are very lucky to have met her."

"I know," responded Kara, smiling at her older sister. "She's amazing." She pointed to the photo albums and iPad that she'd brought with her. "I brought some pictures. I want to show you some of the most important moments in my life."

Astra said softly, "I would like that very much." She squeezed Kara's hand, and continued, "I wish I had been there, but I am glad you found such a wonderful family."

"Well, you're my family too, Aunt Astra." She shook her head. "I can't even believe you're here."

"I am here now, Little One. Now tell me about your past."

The two of them spent a couple of hours looking at photos and talking about the events of Kara's life, and conversing in a mixture of English and Kryptonese. Kara chattered happily, thrilled that she had the chance to share these moments with her Kryptonian family. But it was the look on Astra's face that made Alex tear up a little bit – the older woman's love for Kara was so clearly displayed, and she hung on to every word that Kara said. Alex had no doubt that Astra would do anything for her niece – in fact, she had given up everything just for the chance to be with Kara.

Around noon, Alex made a couple of calls, and a short while later, Agent Vasquez arrived with four pizzas. When Kara spotted the pizzas, her eyes lit up, and Astra looked curiously at whatever had captivated her niece. Alex explained, "Astra, you've never had pizza, so we brought a few varieties for you to try."

"Aunt Astra, just wait until you taste this. There was nothing even remotely like it on Krypton." Vasquez handed them some plates and napkins, and Kara opened the boxes to survey the options. "Alex, you got all my favorites!" she said happily.

Alex grinned. "Astra, try a slice of each. You're going to like them all."

Astra watched Kara curiously as she grabbed a triangular slice, and then took a huge bite. "You eat this with your hands? It looks messy."

Alex laughed. "You can use a fork and knife if you'd like, but it's easier just to pick it up. We have napkins to wipe the grease off your fingers."

"You are eating grease?" Astra asked, horrified.

At Astra's reaction, Alex laughed even harder. "Just try it. You'll see."

Astra picked up a slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza, and took a bite. Her face showed surprise, and then ecstasy. She closed her eyes and moaned. "This is amazing," she whispered.

Kara laughed. "It's one of my favorite foods. I have a lot of favorites, though. Come on, Astra, dig in."

"What are we digging?" the woman asked. "Can I eat the pizza first?"

Alex and Kara shared a smile. "Just eat, Astra," Alex said

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After lunch, Alex declared that it was time to take Kara home. She argued vehemently, of course, but she was silenced by Astra. "You need to heal, Little One. Listen to your sister." Alex smiled gratefully at Astra as she led Kara out of the room. Agent Vasquez was assigned the task of taking Astra to her new accommodations.

As Alex and Kara headed for the exit, Kara spotted Winn in conversation with other agents, and smiled happily. She waved to Winn, and then stopped short, a look of disgust on her face. "Maxwell Lord is here?"

Alex sighed. She didn't like the idea of working with Max any more than Kara did, but they needed every advantage they could get right now. "Kara, I don't like him either, but it's his technology that's been hacked, and he has one of the best technological minds of our generation. He and Winn have come up with an idea to stop Myriad, and they're just fine-tuning the details. Actually, Astra has been a big help as well."

Kara nodded reluctantly. "I guess we need everyone's help."

Alex put her arm around Kara. "Come on, Little One, let's take you home." Kara smiled.

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When Vasquez opened the door to Astra's new accommodations, the Kryptonian looked at her in confusion. "This is not my cell."

Agent Vasquez smiled and said, "It is now. You've been upgraded," she said, grinning. "Agent Danvers insisted that you needed something more comfortable."

Astra looked around the room in surprise. It contained a bed, a dresser, a recliner, a set of shelves loaded with books, a small refrigerator, and a television screen on the wall. She pulled out one of the dresser drawers, and found neatly-folded shirts. Another one contained pants, and a third one provided her with undergarments. Vasquez shrugged and said, "We can't expect you to wear the same outfit all the time. Alex brought in some clothes that she thought would fit you. We weren't sure whether you'd prefer books or TV, so you got both. The bathroom is behind that door." She pointed to a door in the corner of the room. "And there are snacks in the fridge, in case you get hungry or thirsty between meals. If there's anything you want, just name it. You can reach us by pressing the button on the wall here." She tapped a button that was next to the light switch.

Astra was speechless. They were treating her like a guest, rather than a prisoner. The only clue that she wasn't a guest of honor was the green tinge on the door, indicating the presence of Kryptonite. She knew that the improved treatment was Alex's doing, and she gained even more appreciation for the woman who had clearly fought for her. "Please, tell Alex that I am grateful for her kindness."

Agent Vasquez nodded and said, "I'll pass on the message." She smiled, and left.

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After dropping Kara off at home, Alex had returned to the DEO to work with Winn, Max, and the other agents on their plan for Myriad. The Kryptonians planned to use Max's equipment to broadcast a signal, and the group was hoping that they had found a way to disrupt that signal, by planting their own noise-cancelling bug. It was a solid plan, but they really had no idea if it would work.

Max had also brought a box full of strange-looking headphones, telling the group that these devices would block Myriad's signal from entering a person's brain. He explained that they were very costly and time-consuming to make, so he'd only managed to create a few of them. Astra believed that the timing of Myriad would be sometime around the end fo the week, but Max suggested that the DEO have at least one person wearing these at all times, and be ready to put them on the other agents if the signal was broadcast earlier than expected. After analyzing the headphones (because this was still Max Lord, and they didn't entirely trust him), they found that he'd been telling the truth about their purpose. The group quickly formed a rotation, and two agents immediately put the headphones on. It was a smart precaution to take.

Alex was confident that they'd done everything they could, although she had no idea whether it would be enough. Before leaving for the day, she stopped to say good night to Astra. Although she could enter Astra's cell at any time, she knocked politely on the door, and waited for Astra to say, "Enter."

When Alex opened the door, she saw Astra sitting in the recliner, reading David Copperfield. Astra smiled, and said, "This writer is an excellent storyteller. I am intrigued."

Alex laughed, and said, "Yeah, Charles Dickens did all right for himself. I can bring you more of his novels, if you'd like."

Astra shook her head. "Right now, I am enjoying the variety. You have made excellent selections."

Alex had picked these books from her own shelves, trying to identify classics that Astra might enjoy. She smiled at the knowledge that Astra had appreciated her efforts. "I hope you're feeling more comfortable here," she offered. "I'm sorry that we have to keep you locked up at all. It's very obvious that you aren't an enemy."

Astra shook her head. "It is better that I am here. Otherwise, Non and his followers would find me. I will never be safe as long as they are alive."

"Isn't Non your husband?" Alex asked, trying to understand this relationship. "Doesn't he love you?"

"Love?" repeated Astra. "No, we did not marry for love. On Krypton, marriages were arranged. Non was a suitable companion, but we have since grown apart."

Alex was shaking her head in confusion. "So what did you do if you fell in love with someone? Or were attracted to someone? Did you date? How did you have babies? I mean… Oh God, I'm babbling like Kara. You don't need to answer any of those questions. Please just stop me."

Astra laughed. "Feelings were not as strong on Krypton as they are here. And since I am already married, I do not like to entertain those thoughts."

"But surely you've felt something – been attracted to someone, right?" Alex covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry; this is none of my business. You just fascinate me." She blushed slightly at the revelation.

"Until very recently," Astra said softly, "I had never felt attracted to anyone."

Alex looked at her for a moment. "What changed?"

Astra smiled sadly. "It does not matter. May I ask you a personal question, Alex?"

Alex nodded reluctantly. "Of course." She tried not to tense at the thought of answering anything personal, but it was not in her nature.

"Are you married?"

Alex looked up in surprise. That was an easy one. "No," she said, smiling. "Not even dating."

"Why not? Is it not customary for a woman your age to seek out a suitable partner?"

Alex laughed. "You're beginning to sound like my mother. The truth is, I'm married to my job, and I don't really have time to date."

Astra shook her head. "Alex, you need to try. A woman as beautiful and intelligent as you should never be alone. It is a shame."

Alex raised her eyebrow. "Maybe I just need to find someone who is worth the effort." Was Astra flirting with her? Is this how Kryptonians expressed interest? Wait, was Alex interested? The answer, unfortunately, was a resounding yes. This woman fascinated her, and Astra's long, lean body and silky-smooth voice had been occupying far too much of her thoughts lately. She shook her head. Get a hold of yourself, Danvers, she instructed herself silently. This is your sister's aunt. She's your mother's age. "Good night, Astra," she said abruptly.

Astra looked at her with a warm smile. "Good night, Alex."


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, Kara returned to CatCo. Although Alex and Cat wanted her to stay home again, they knew that Kara would not tolerate it. She was more than sufficiently healed to handle a day of work. Cat noticed that her morning ran more smoothly than it had all week – no surprise, given that she finally had her extraordinary assistant back. Kara was her usual amazing self, anticipating Cat's needs before she could even voice them. The old Cat would have made some snide comments about it, to keep from seeming impressed, but Cat was not that woman anymore. Instead, she smiled warmly at Kara, and thanked her for her help. Then she said, loudly, "Now, back to work, Kiera! Chop chop!" She still had a reputation to maintain, after all.

Before Kara could leave the office, however, Cat heard a thump on the balcony, and a man strode in, wearing an outfit much like the one she'd seen on Astra. The look on Kara's face was a combination of hatred, scorn, and fear, and Cat would have done anything to remove that look from Kara's face. Instead, she closed the office door, knowing that whatever this conversation entailed, the rest of CatCo shouldn't hear it. She grabbed Kara's hand and dragged her out to the balcony. Kara needed to be able to protect herself, and the balcony was a far better place for that, away from the prying eyes of the bullpen. Non followed them back out onto the balcony, glancing at the women's joined hands with interest.

"Non," Kara spat, disdain dripping from her voice. "You are not welcome here." She removed her glasses and stood tall, in a posture so obviously Supergirl that Cat cringed, thinking about how quickly Kara would have revealed herself if they weren't on the balcony.

"I would like to see you try to stop me," Non responded, his lip curling into a sneer. "I am here for my wife. Where is she?"

Kara glared defiantly at him. "She's in prison." Kara didn't think it was her place to announce that Astra had voluntarily given herself up. "You won't get her back."

"I am her husband. She belongs to me, and I will have her back."

Cat had heard enough. She said angrily, "She doesn't belong to you, or anyone! How can you treat your wife like a piece of property!"

"And who are you?" Non growled. "How dare you speak to me? I could kill you with a flick of my finger."

Kara quickly stepped in front of Cat. "You will not touch her!" she proclaimed, although her voice contained a hint of fear.

Non was intrigued by Kara's reaction. She was acting as if this human was important to her. He laughed. "Does the daughter of Alura Zor-El have a weakness for humans?" he mocked. He quickly reached around Kara and grabbed Cat. "Does it worry you if I squeeze her neck?" He put one hand around her neck and squeezed until Cat was gasping for air.

Kara stepped forward and punched him, hard. The blow was so powerful that it knocked him back into the wall, and he released Cat in surprise. "Go inside!" Kara urged Cat quickly… but not quickly enough.

Perhaps they could arrange a trade, Non thought – Kara's human for his wife. Using his super-speed, Non flew by Cat and grabbed her in his arms. Kara took off after him, shedding her clothing on the way, in favor of the super-suit. Non would NOT take Cat away from her. She wanted to send a blast of heat vision at him, but she was afraid of hitting Cat, so instead she simply followed his flight path.

Alex called while she was in mid-flight. "Kara, are you flying? You know you're not supposed–"

Kara cut her off. "Alex, Non has Cat. He's flying off with her, and I'm not going to lose them."

"We're on our way. We'll head toward your coordinates."

Non continued his evasive maneuvers, and Kara followed, steadily gaining on him. Non realized that Kara was faster than he was, and he had no chance of losing her. He debated killing the human, but instead, he used her to get Kara off his trail. He tossed her into the air, and sneered as Cat began to scream in terror. "Next time, Kara Zor-El, I will not be so kind to your human." He laughed. "By this time tomorrow, the whole city will be mine, and that woman will suffer."

Kara quickly flew underneath Cat and caught her. She pulled Cat close, holding the shaking woman in her arms. "I've got you, Cat. You're safe now." She flew slowly back to CatCo's balcony, murmuring soothing phrases and holding Cat as tightly as she dared. When she landed on the balcony, she brought Cat over to the sofa, still holding the woman in her arms.

When she heard a helicopter approaching, she remembered Alex. She pressed the button on her phone, and said, "Alex, Non let her go. Cat's okay, and Non is gone."

"I'm coming anyway," Alex declared, and a few moments later she was dangling underneath the helicopter, lowering herself until she landed on the balcony. She knelt in front of the couch, wrapping one arm around Kara and the other around Cat. They stayed there, in a three-person hug, for several minutes.

Eventually, Alex released the other two women. She grabbed a chair and sat down across from them. "Tell me what happened," she said. Kara began to recount the events, starting from when Non arrived, and Alex was impressed to hear that Cat had closed the door and led them out to the balcony. "That was quick thinking, Cat," she commended.

The older woman drew in a shaky breath. "I knew that if something happened, Kara would want to defend me, and I couldn't let her risk her identity." Alex nodded. She was impressed by Cat's determination to look out for Kara, even in a moment of panic. More importantly, she was relieved to see that Cat was beginning to compose herself again. This woman was a fighter.

They continued the story together, and Cat admitted that once he had started referring to Astra as property, she couldn't keep quiet any longer. "But when Non threatened me, he could see by Kara's reaction that I was important to her. So I think he decided to try to exchange me for Astra. He wanted his property back." Cat shook her head in disgust. "Kara wouldn't let him get away, though. She flies faster than he does."

Kara nodded. "Faster than Superman, too," she muttered quietly. Cat looked at her, impressed.

"Once he realized that," Cat said, "I could see him trying to decide what to do with me. He definitely thought about killing me, but for some reason he decided not to."

"He figured you weren't important enough to bother," Kara said, shaking her head and shivering at the thought. "And he wanted to get me off his tail. He knew I would save you rather than chasing him."

"I think we've found Non's biggest weakness, Kara," Alex responded. "Underestimating his enemies. He has underestimated you a couple of times, and he thinks humans are useless. It's could be his downfall."

Kara nodded slowly. "I hope it's enough."

Alex grinned. "Well, if not, you can always beat him in a race." Kara smiled weakly.

Cat inquired, "What's the status of the Myriad situation?"

"We've got a plan to stop it," Alex answered. "We won't really know if it works until it happens. We have a backup plan – a few pairs of headphones that will block the signal – but it's not nearly enough to save the city. Our hope is that at least it'll give us a chance to find another solution, if needed. Kara, if it happens, you need to come straight to the DEO. Agents will be there with headphones."

Kara shook her head. "You know I'm getting Cat and Carter first."

"I figured that," Alex said. "That's why I brought two pairs of headphones for them." She smiled and held out the strange-looking devices. "Cat, make sure you keep these handy, and tell Kara where they are, so she can grab them if necessary."

"Do we know yet when this is happening?" Cat asked.

Alex shook her head. "We're guessing by the end of the week."

Kara stood up suddenly, and began pacing. "Non said something, as he was flying away. 'By this time tomorrow, the whole city will be mine.' Then he threatened to make you suffer." Kara looked at Cat with fear in her eyes.

"Okay, that narrows it down. I think maybe it's time we all started wearing those headphones, just in case," Alex said. She made a quick call to Hank to alert him.

Cat looked at the headphones in horror. "I can't be seen wearing those monstrosities. Kara, hold on to them, and if I need them, you can put them on me. Until then, I will not be caught dead in those things. I have a reputation to maintain."

Alex rolled her eyes, and Kara laughed. "Of course, Ms. Grant," she said submissively, earning a slight smile from her boss.

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The next morning, Cat and Kara brought Carter to work. They wanted him around just in case something happened. Kara carried Cat's headphones, and Carter was happy to wear his pair. "These are so cool," he marveled. Can I use them with my iPod?"

Kara laughed. "I seriously doubt it. But you look good, in any case."

Meanwhile, the DEO agents were equipped with headphones, and were monitoring Lord's technology to see when the Myriad program would be activated. They were hoping that the software they'd installed would drown out Myriad's signal entirely, making the precaution unnecessary.

Around mid-morning, a technician shouted an alert, and the agents collectively held their breath. They watched nervously as the software began to run, and after about thirty seconds someone exclaimed, "It's working!" The others began to join in, until the low murmur had grown into applause and cheering. "We did it!" yelled Winn, feeling like he'd just accomplished the greatest feat of his life. Alex called Kara to alert her to their success, and Kara confirmed that in fact, Cat was acting completely normal without the headphones – or at least like her usual self.

The agency was focused on the progress of Myriad all morning, wanting to make sure that Non didn't find a way to bypass their roadblock. As a result, they noticed immediately when Non began to increase the frequency. "What is he doing?" Winn asked. "He can't control humans at that high a frequency."

"He's not trying to control us," Max said grimly.

"He's trying to kill us," Alex finished. She dialed her sister. "Kara, we have a problem. Get here as soon as you can."

A moment later, Kara arrived, with Cat and Carter in tow.

"You brought a child here?" Hank demanded angrily.

"I wasn't leaving him alone," Kara said, with a look on her face that dared him to argue with her. "Alex, tell me what's going on."

Alex explained the situation – that the signal, emanating from Fort Roz, would reach higher and higher frequencies until it finally became too much for human ears. It was going to kill everyone on the planet. "So I defeat Non, and then I stop the signal, right?" Kara asked.

Alex sighed and nodded. Hank immediately volunteered to go with Kara. "You could use my help," he said, and Kara nodded in agreement. His alien powers could very well come in handy, although neither of them could acknowledge that out loud.

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Five minutes later, Alex burst into Astra's room, and the tears running down her face were enough to alarm the Kryptonian. "It's Kara," she said by way of explanation. "I need your help. Can I trust you?"

Astra nodded and stood up quickly. "Tell me what you need." Alex beckoned her out of the room, and Astra noticed the Kryptonite emitter had been turned off. She was being released. She followed Alex down the hall. As they ran toward the control room, Alex explained, "Kara is flying Fort Roz into space to stop the Myriad signal from killing everyone."

"But she can't breathe in space!" Astra protested.

"Exactly. I'm taking her ship, and I'm going to try to push her back into the atmosphere. I need you to catch her when she falls."

Astra nodded. She would do anything to save her niece. She just hoped they could reach Kara in time.


	22. Chapter 22

"Come on, Kara. Please, I need you!" Alex had jumped out of the spaceship and grabbed Kara's hand while doctors surrounded her. Astra was standing there, watching helplessly. Cat ran over, a look of sheer terror on her face. Carter watched helplessly from across the room.

To their relief, Kara seemed to be breathing on her own. Doctors rushed her down the hall in a gurney, and hooked her up to machines to monitor her vitals. After a few minutes, they were convinced that Kara was going to be all right. "Damn it, Kara, you need to stop scaring me like this!" Cat said weakly.

Alex grabbed Cat into a hug. "She's okay, Cat," Alex said softly, as much to reassure herself as anything. The two of them stood with their arms around each other, oblivious to the rest of the world, as tears ran down their faces. Eventually, they took a few deep, shaky breaths, and let go.

As they separated, Alex spotted Astra standing in the corner of the room, staring at Kara with a haunted look on her face. She stepped over to Astra, and grasped her hands. In a teary voice, she said, "Thank you for helping me."

"Thank you for saving my niece, Brave One," Astra responded softly. "I am grateful that you allowed me to help." She knew the risks that Alex had taken by freeing her, and she wanted the woman to know how much she appreciated that trust.

Alex smiled, and then surprised herself by pulling Astra into a hug. "I couldn't have done it without you," she murmured. After a moment of shock, Astra wrapped her arms around Alex and returned the hug, careful not to squeeze too hard. She was not used to the ease with which humans expressed affection, but found Alex's touch to be incredibly comforting. And there was something else, an unfamiliar feeling that made her heart race and her face flush slightly. She found herself savoring every moment of contact.

The two women held on for a long time, neither one wanting to let go. Cat watched in fascination, noting the depth of emotion on each woman's face. Interesting, she thought. Did these two have any idea what was developing between them? She suspected that in Astra's case, the answer was no. Astra was too much of a rational thinker to understand her own emotions. Alex, on the other hand, was more self-aware. But Cat suspected that Alex would be hesitant to act on those feelings, out of respect for Kara or her position within the DEO.

Eventually, the two women let go. Astra announced, "You should bring me back to my cell. I do not want to make your life more difficult."

"You're not going anywhere," Alex responded. "You're a hero now. You saved Supergirl's life." She smiled at Astra. "Thanks for making me look good."

Astra looked at her questioningly. "You always look good. Nothing I do will change that."

Alex smiled warmly at her, and Cat laughed at the Kryptonian's confusion.

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Kara woke up feeling disoriented and confused. She had said her goodbyes, and expected to die saving the planet. Instead, she opened her eyes to find herself in the sun bed, with a view of four of her favorite people – Cat, Carter, Alex, and Astra.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You saved the world, and then we saved you." Alex smiled at her. "You're not the only bad-ass in the family. I flew your pod to get you, and Astra caught you on the way down."

Kara's eyes widened. "You and Astra…" She shook her head. "I can't believe I'm here."

She felt a thump on her chest, as Cat's purse made contact with her. "What was that for?" Kara asked, pouting slightly.

Cat explained, "That's for trying to leave me, you insufferable hero." Kara began to try to explain, but Cat drowned her protests with a long, gentle kiss. "It's all right, Kara. I'm just so glad you're okay." Kara wrapped her arms around Cat and pulled her in for another kiss.

Astra stared at the two women in confusion. "I do not understand. Cat was angry, but these are not the actions of an angry woman."

Alex laughed. "Sometimes, there's just no explaining human behavior."

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Once Kara had rested for a little while longer, Alex declared that she was well enough to leave the DEO. "Oh, thank Rao," Kara said in relief. "I thought you were going to make me stay in this awful contraption overnight again."

She sat up, and Alex and Cat helped her out of the sun bed. "Come on, Kara," Alex said. "There are a few people who want to thank you."

The group made their way from the treatment room to the control center. At the sight of Supergirl, the entire room burst into enthusiastic applause. Standing at the front of the group was Director Hank Henshaw. "Supergirl," he said, "you offered to sacrifice yourself to save this planet. We all owe our lives to you. Thank you."

Kara smiled warmly at Hank. "I couldn't have done it without your help," she said, although the extent of Hank's help would never be discussed. She grabbed him in a hug, and whispered, "Thank you."

Hank nodded, blinking rapidly to keep his eyes from misting over. "In addition, I need to acknowledge two other heroes. First, Agent Alex Danvers. Without her quick thinking and bravery, we would have lost Supergirl today." Hank led another round of applause.

"And finally, Astra In-Ze." Astra looked up in surprise. "This brave woman allowed us to take her into custody, out of concern for Supergirl and for our planet. If it hadn't been for her knowledge of Myriad, we would never have been prepared for the situation we faced. Her actions today proved her loyalty beyond a shadow of a doubt. I offer her my humble apologies, as well as my gratitude for her heroic actions. You are free to go, General."

Astra shook her head, murmuring, "I am no hero," but her protests were drowned out by enthusiastic applause.

Alex turned to Astra. "You're free," she said, smiling.

"I am free? But I – it is not safe for me to leave this place."

Oh, right, thought Alex. Astra didn't know about Non, or any of the other events of today. How would she take the knowledge of her husband's death? Obviously, they were not close, but he was still her husband. Alex sighed. "Astra, we need to talk."

Alex took Astra's hand, and quietly explained that Non had died, and the rest of the Kryptonians were gone. "I'm so sorry," she said sadly – that sentence seemed woefully inadequate to make up for her words.

Astra stood in silence, her face devoid of any expression. After a few moments, she said softly, "I will need to perform the proper rituals for his burial."

Alex nodded. "If you tell me what to do, I'll help you. You have friends here, Astra. You're not alone."

Astra nodded slowly, and then looked up. "Thank you, Alex," she said quietly. "I would like that." She paused for a moment, and then asked, "What do I do now? My world is gone."

Alex smiled. She suspected that Kara would answer that question, and from Kara's grin, Alex knew that she'd been listening in. "Aunt Astra," Kara said, "I want you to come stay with us for a while. At Cat's place. She has plenty of extra room, and she wants you to come."

Cat smiled. "Maybe you can keep my Kryptonian under control. She has this hero complex. Always trying to sacrifice herself for the good of humanity, blah, blah, blah." She rolled her eyes and swept her arm theatrically.

"I still do not understand," Astra said to Alex. "Why does she criticize the best qualities of my niece?"

Alex laughed. "Humans are hard enough to understand. But Cat Grant? Fortunes have been lost trying to solve that mystery."

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A couple of hours later, the five of them – Cat, Carter, Kara, Alex, and Astra – sat down to eat dinner. Knowing that she was feeding two Kryptonians and a teenage boy, Cat made an immense amount of food – chicken and pasta in a creamy wine sauce, salad, breadsticks, and of course ice cream sundaes for dessert. She was relieved to see that there was actually food left over, especially knowing Kara's penchant for midnight snacks. She suspected that Astra would have similar habits.

Astra was astonished by how good the food was. She had been accustomed to eating energy bars designed for Kryptonians – which were nearly tasteless – rather than experiencing Earth's cuisine. She was shocked to discover just how much she'd been missing, and attacked the food with gusto.

Cat was astonished to see how new all of this was to Astra. She had been living on this planet for many years, but her life had been so sheltered that in a strange way, it seemed like she'd just landed. It made Cat think about what Kara must have been like when she first arrived, and she was fascinated. She and Carter began peppering Kara with questions about her own childhood. They were amused to discover that she had been terrified of the popcorn maker and broke a TV trying to get it to respond to her touch. The conversation reminded Cat of just how much Kara had overcome in her own life.

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As they were getting ready for bed, Kara stopped in to say good night to her aunt. She stood reluctantly in the doorway, finally asking, "Aunt Astra, do you need anything else? Are you comfortable?"

"I am fine, Little One," Astra said, smiling. "Thank you for giving me a place to stay."

"I love having you here!" Kara said excitedly. "I'm so happy that I get another chance to be with you. I can hardly believe it's real." She paused, and then said softly, "Thank you for saving me today."

Astra responded sincerely, "It was my pleasure." She looked at Kara. "Will you sit and talk with me, Little One?"

Kara smiled happily, and climbed onto the bed next to her aunt. She couldn't help wrapping her arms around Astra, and the older woman eagerly returned the hug, kissing the top of Kara's head affectionately. "Tell me about your human mate, Little One," Astra said, still holding Kara in her arms.

"She's… she isn't… She's not my mate, Aunt Astra," Kara stammered. Then she sighed. "But I hope she will be someday. I love her. She's so strong, and so caring, and she's been my hero and mentor since the day I met her. Cat challenges me to be the best hero that I can, and she's always there to support me. I can't imagine loving anyone else the way I love her."

Astra smiled at Cat, who was standing in the doorway with a warm smile on her face. "She makes you very happy," Astra said to Kara.

"She does," Kara agreed. "But we're taking things slowly. I want this to last, more than anything, and I'm afraid that if I rush this, I'll scare her away."

Astra glanced at Cat again, and the woman couldn't help herself. "Kara," she said softly from the doorway, "you could never scare me away." Kara spun around quickly, surprised to hear her voice. But Cat quickly continued, "I love you too. I want to take this slowly because I know we both have a lot to figure out, and I want this to last, but you're not going to scare me away."

Astra smiled. "You will make an excellent mate for my niece. It is time for bed, Little One. Go and be with your Cat."

"Good night, Aunt Astra," Kara said, kissing her on the cheek before climbing off the bed. When she reached the doorway, she took Cat's hand, and the two of them headed for her bedroom. Kara smiled. Cat loved her. Nothing else mattered.

She couldn't wait to hold Cat in her arms all night long. Ever since she'd begun staying here with Cat, the older woman's nightmares had been nonexistent. No matter what their relationship became, the best part about all of this was having a chance to help Cat rest peacefully.


	23. Chapter 23

The next morning, Kara was in an amazing mood as she headed to work. Non and his henchmen were gone, and while she had never wished them dead, it was a relief to know that they weren't lurking somewhere. The planet was safe from the threat of Myriad. She had found her long-lost aunt, and was getting a chance to reconnect with Astra. And she had woken up with Cat in her arms, making the day seem just a bit brighter.

Things at CatCo ran smoothly all morning – Cat ruled her kingdom with an iron fist, while Kara anticipated Cat's every whim. It was a graceful ballet that they performed on days like these. Kara would appear out of nowhere, and then disappear just as quickly. Cat simply had to hold out her hand, and magically, whatever she needed was there. Cat had never noticed their intricate dance until a couple of weeks ago, but she was becoming acutely aware of just how much Kara did for her every day. The woman was vastly overqualified for her original job, but she had started to take on far more responsibilities. At this point, she was basically Cat's second-in-command.

Just before lunch time, Kara noticed Cat stiffen as a group of men stepped off of the elevator. These men were here to talk about remodeling some of the conference rooms downstairs, to create a larger and more flexible space. The company had come highly-recommended, and Cat had asked Kara to set up a meeting with the people who would be in charge of the remodel. But something about this particular group of men had unsettled Cat.

Kara jumped up and quickly walked into Cat's office, closing the door behind her. "Cat, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Cat answered stiffly. "Why would you think something is wrong?"

Kara almost didn't notice the quick jerk of her hand, or the darting eyes that glanced back toward the elevator. She frowned. Cat was hiding something, and it worried her. Why was Cat shutting her out? What was it about these men that upset her so much? "Are… are you sure? Should I reschedule, or stay here for the meeting?"

"No, Kiera, you have work to do. Go." Cat waved her hand. "Don't worry about me." The tone was dismissive, which would have hurt Kara if she hadn't noticed how much the woman was struggling to keep her composure. She frowned again, and nodded her assent. She couldn't force Cat to accept her help. Not right this minute, anyway.

Kara met the men at her desk, introducing herself to Rick Miller, Peter Travis, and Todd White. She then ushered them into Cat's office, and performed the introductions before excusing herself. As she shut the door, she heard one of the men say, "Ms. Grant. It's wonderful to see you again. Cat and I go way back, don't we?"

She frowned. That must be the connection that had Cat so upset. She quickly called Alex. "Hey, I need you to run three names for me, and find any connection to Cat Grant."

"Kara, you realize I'm not actually supposed to use my government clearance for things like that, right?" Alex responded dryly.

"Alex, Cat is really upset about something, and it has to do with one of the three men in her office right now. She's shutting me out, and I want to know why."

Alex sighed. This sounded like something she shouldn't be involved with. But she knew that Cat had a tendency to close herself off when she was upset, and she suspected the woman might need Kara to pry a little bit. Plus, this was Kara. She could never say no to Kara. "I'll see what I can find," she said reluctantly.

"Thanks, Alex. I owe you."

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A couple of minutes later, Alex called back. "The third guy, Todd White. He dated Cat's mom for a little over a year, back when she was a teenager."

At the words 'dated Cat's mom,' Kara paled. The rest of the sentence served as confirmation of what she'd just realized. "Oh no," she whispered.

"Kara," Alex said, suddenly alarmed. "What's wrong?"

"Alex, Todd was the name of the man who…" Kara couldn't finish the sentence. She stood up suddenly, gripping the phone a little too hard. She needed to do something. She couldn't just sit here and let this... monster… be in there with Cat. She was so focused on her anger that she could barely see.

Kara suddenly realized that Alex was yelling her name through the phone. "Kara! Talk to me! Kara!"

"Sorry, Alex. I have to–"

"No, Kara. Stop and listen to me." Alex talked quickly, determined to get through to her sister before she hung up. "I don't know exactly what Todd did to Cat, although I have my suspicions. But how do you think Cat will feel if you barge in there and call him out, or worse, assault him? She's trying to maintain her composure right now. She doesn't want him to see that he's gotten to her. If you go in there and take over, she's going to feel helpless. Please, Kara, think about what Cat needs."

"So what should I do, Alex?" Kara said desperately.

"Can you summon Cat to a fake emergency meeting, and say you'll have to reschedule? Get him out of there somehow, while emphasizing how important Cat's time is."

"I can do that," Kara said slowly.

"Good. And Kara, I'm here, okay? Call me if you want me to come over there or help you figure out what to do. Whatever you need."

"Thanks, Alex."

Kara hung up the cell phone and knocked on the door of Cat's office. She saw Cat raise an eyebrow at her, and gesture her inside. "Yes?"

"Ms. Grant, I wanted to ask you about the emergency meeting of your production team. The one that was called when one of the printing presses shut down?" Cat knew full well that none of the printing presses had shut down, so hopefully she understood that Kara was just trying to give her an exit strategy. "I know you hoped they could handle it on their own, but they just called to request your presence. Would you like me to reschedule with these three gentlemen so you can attend?"

Cat met her eyes for a moment, and the look on her face was impossible to decipher. Eventually, she said, "Yes, I believe that would be in my best interests. Unfortunately, gentlemen, I will need to reschedule this meeting. Could you please see to that for me, Kara?"

"Of course, Ms. Grant."

Cat frowned at the three men. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but unfortunately, this is an emergency."

The men nodded their understanding. Kara said confidently, "Gentlemen, I'll walk you out, and then I will give your company a call to reschedule this meeting." She forced herself not to react as Todd murmured something to Cat about how great it was to see her again, and simply guided the men to the elevator. When she was sure they were gone, she turned back to Cat's office, but her boss was nowhere in sight.

Kara assumed she would find Cat on the balcony, and she was right. Cat was standing there, hands gripped tightly on the railing as she stared out into the city, with a faraway look in her eyes. Kara wasn't yet sure whether her touch would be welcomed, so she stood next to Cat, putting her own hands on the railing and staring off into the distance as well. "Cat, that man–"

Cat held up a hand for silence, and Kara instantly stopped talking. "Yes. That was him." She shook her head. "Thirty five years later, and I'm still afraid of him."

Kara put her hand tentatively on Cat's shoulder, then yanked it away as the older woman flinched at her touch. "Cat, watching you in that meeting, holding yourself together while you were so torn up inside – you are braver than anyone I've ever known, on any planet. Of course you still react to him. But the way you overcame your fear… I have never been prouder of you than I was right then."

She paused for a moment and surveyed the older woman. "Cat, what happened to you was traumatic. Have you ever even talked about it with anyone? Like, really talked about it?"

"I told my current therapist that there was some abuse in my past."

"But you didn't actually discuss it," Kara guessed.

"It's over, Kara. It's been over for a long time."

"No," Kara said softly. "It's not. It's still right there in the back of your mind. That's why you have nightmares. That's why you're still afraid of him. Cat, a while ago… you mentioned that the nightmares had gotten worse lately. Why is that?"

"I saw him," Cat said in a small voice. "About a month ago, I passed him on the street. It's been so long – it didn't even occur to me that I would recognize him, after all this time. He must be… what, sixty-five now? But his eyes… I've always remembered his eyes. And to see him again today…" She shivered.

Kara left for a moment, and came back with a blanket. She wrapped it around Cat from behind, and placed her hands on Cat's shoulders uncertainly, hoping the woman would accept her touch now. She felt Cat relax slightly, and left her hands there, hoping they would offer some comfort. She wanted Cat to know that she was there.

Cat's eyes were haunted. She spoke softly, in a voice that told Kara she was buried deep in her own thoughts. "When it started, it was always in the dark. But I remember his eyes. Maybe they caught the moonlight or something. I remember his expression, the first time I stopped pushing him away. There was a look of… triumph, like I was giving him permission. The truth was, I was confused and overwhelmed, and didn't know what to do any more. But in his mind, I had stopped saying no." She shook her head. "I will always regret that," she said sadly.

"Cat…" Kara took a deep breath, and stepped forward to envelop Cat in a hug from behind. She was relieved when Cat relaxed slightly and leaned back into the embrace. She rested her head on Cat's shoulder, squeezing tightly to remind Cat that she wasn't alone. "You were thirteen, and an adult that you trusted was taking advantage of you. You can't possibly think that you did anything wrong. You survived the abuse, and that means you did everything right. And look at the amazing woman you've become. You've always been my hero, you know." She kissed Cat's cheek. "Cat, I love you. Let me help you through this."

Finally, the tears came. For a moment, Kara simply continued to hold her from behind. Then she spun Cat around, and wrapped her arms tightly around the woman. She stood there for a long time, holding Cat tightly, with neither woman saying a word. Kara ran her hands up and down Cat's back, soothing her as the older woman struggled to compose herself again.

Eventually, Kara led Cat to the sofa and sat her down, keeping her arms around the other woman. "Cat," she murmured, "we're going to get through this together, okay? I'm here, no matter what."

Cat nodded, and rested her head on Kara's chest. She no longer had to do this alone, and there was something incredibly comforting about that.


	24. Chapter 24

That afternoon, Kara called Cat's therapist to schedule an appointment. This was nothing new – she was assigned this task whenever Cat's mother came to visit – but this time, the appointment had been Kara's idea. "Cat, you need to talk with her about this. I'll go with you. If you want me to, I'll sit right next to you and hold your hand. But it's time for you to discuss this with someone who knows how to help." Cat reluctantly agreed to meet with her.

After their talk on the balcony, Kara had taken charge of Cat's afternoon. She arranged for Cat to meet her counselor, Dr. Harris, at 4:00, and cancelled Cat's obligations after that time. The two of them would be leaving for the day. At 3:45, Kara and Cat headed downstairs to meet the driver that Kara had summoned. When they were seated in the car, Kara grabbed Cat's hand. Although Cat's cool and confident demeanor had hardly wavered, Kara could tell that she was nervous. Squeezing her hand, Kara said, "Cat, relax. You like Dr. Harris. Tell her about Todd's visit, and start from there. You don't have to tell her anything you don't want to, okay?"

Cat nodded silently. This was the last thing she wanted to be doing, late on a Friday afternoon, but Kara was right. She had kept this bottled up her whole life, and it was time to talk about it. She was Cat Grant. She could handle anything.

When they got to the therapist's office, Kara pulled Cat out of the car without letting go of her hand. They walked, with joined hands, into the empty waiting room. (Kara always scheduled an extra hour before and after Cat's sessions, knowing that Cat would not want to interact with anyone.) Kara said softly, "Cat, if you want me to come in, I will. I don't know whether it would make things easier or harder for you, but I'm here if you need me."

Cat considered it for a moment, and then shook her head. "No, I want to take this step by myself." She looked suddenly vulnerable. "But will you stay here, just in case? I'd like to know that you're waiting for me when I come out."

Kara smiled. "Cat, you couldn't possibly get rid of me right now. I'll be waiting right here." Before sitting down to wait, she pulled Cat into a hug. She held on for a moment, kissing Cat's cheek and squeezing her closer, and let go only after she saw the doctor's office door open.

"Hi Cat," Dr. Harris said. "And you must be the exceptional assistant, Kara."

Kara looked at Cat in surprise. "I thought for sure she'd call me Kiera." Then she registered the rest of the sentence. "Exceptional? You called me exceptional?" Her look turned into one of astonishment.

Cat smiled. "Dr. Harris, this is Kara Danvers, my exceptional assistant, and my girlfriend."

Dr. Harris held out her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Kara. Will you be joining us today?"

Kara shook her head. "No, I'll wait out here." Cat called me her girlfriend, she thought. Her girlfriend! Cat thinks of me as her girlfriend! And exceptional! She tried to hide the lovesick grin from her face until the two women had closed the door behind them.

Kara used the next hour to work on her tablet at super-speed, doing her best to help Cat make up for the time she was missing. When the door finally opened at the end of the session, Kara put the tablet away and leapt out of the chair. She surveyed Cat's features, and noticed that her girlfriend seemed drained, and her eyes were red. Kara stepped forward hesitantly, wanting to put her arms around Cat but not sure how the touch would be received. Cat solved the problem for her by reaching her own arms out to Kara. Kara wrapped her arms securely around the older woman, and held her close for a minute. Cat sank into the embrace, and Kara could feel the tension easing its way out of Cat's body as she relaxed into Kara's arms.

Dr. Harris waited quietly, smiling, while Kara comforted Cat. When they finally separated, Dr. Harris said, "I'll see you on Sunday morning, Cat. Kara, it was nice to meet you. Thank you for encouraging Cat to come today."

Kara smiled. "Thank you for seeing her on such short notice. It was nice to meet you too." She took Cat's hand, and led her out to the car. Once seated, she wrapped her arms back around Cat. "How was it?" she asked quietly.

"It was…" Cat thought for a moment. "Really difficult. But I think I needed to start talking about it." She sighed. "Kara, I'll probably have nightmares tonight. It's all fresh in my mind now."

Kara kissed Cat's cheek and tightened her grip around Cat. "I know, Cat. I'm sorry. But you're not going to be alone, no matter what. We'll get through it together."

SCSCSCSCSCSC

It was Friday night, and Carter was spending the weekend with his father. That left just the four of them for dinner – Kara, Cat, Astra, and Alex. Kara knew that Cat was too drained to even think about what to eat, so she and Alex ordered in Chinese food for the four of them. They were enjoying the idea of introducing Astra to Earth's cuisine, and Chinese food was an absolute essential. They were careful to order even more potstickers than usual, suspecting that Astra would like them just as much as Kara did.

Astra had spent the day working with Alex at the DEO. Scientists there were happy to have a chance to work with her, since Kryptonian technology was far ahead of what humans had mastered. Astra was more than willing to share her knowledge with them. A soldier at heart, she was hoping to eventually aid the DEO in its tactical missions, but it was a good start.

While the four women ate, Astra filled them in on her day at the DEO. Kara was thrilled to hear that Astra was putting her scientific talents to good use, and she was intrigued by the possibility of eventually teaming up with Astra as some sort of super-duo in DEO missions. Alex cautioned Kara that Astra would need to take things slowly. There was footage of her fighting Kara, and the public would be slow to trust someone who had taken on Supergirl.

Cat agreed with Alex's assessment, but suggested that some publicity might be a good idea. Perhaps Astra would be willing to introduce herself by agreeing to let Cat interview her, either on TV or for CatCo's magazine. But she also pointed out the other major flaw in the argument. "Astra, are you going to assume a secret identity, or will you just be a superhero all the time? Your hair is very distinctive, and will make it hard for you to hide. And if you don't hide, people are going to figure out who Kara is by following you, unless you plan to stop seeing Kara at all. You need to decide how you're going to handle this before you make your powers known."

Kara frowned. "I didn't think of any of that. I just wanted us to work together."

"That's why you need Cat in your life," Alex said, grinning. "The Queen of All Media thinks of everything."

Kara laughed. "Very true."

Alex looked at Cat. She didn't know whether or not it was okay to bring up today's events. She had no idea whether Kara had mentioned Alex's involvement, nor did she know how Cat would feel about Astra being part of the conversation. So she simply asked, "How was work for the two of you today?"

Cat regarded her skeptically. "Alex, you don't need to pretend you don't know. I'm sure the first thing that Kara did when she saw my reaction was to call you and find out who those men were."

Alex smiled. "I see why you're an award-winning journalist. So did Kara follow my advice and concoct a story about an emergency meeting?"

"She did," Cat acknowledged. "She got rid of them very quickly. I was amazed by her restraint. I know it couldn't have been easy for her to let Todd go without saying or doing anything."

Astra had been listening to his conversation with curiosity, but she couldn't keep silent anymore. "Who is Todd?" she asked. "And why did you need him to leave?"

Cat sighed. "Astra, Todd was my mother's boyfriend when I was growing up. He… well, some things happened that I regret."

Alex inquired softly, "He abused you?" Cat shrugged. "Cat, you don't need to regret anything. But I kind of wish Kara hadn't restrained herself."

Astra shook her head. "I do not understand," she said to Cat. "If he hurt you, he should be in prison."

Alex smiled sadly at Astra's confusion. "He should, Astra. But the justice system doesn't always work as well as we'd like it to."

Cat sighed. "It was many years ago. It's over now. I just didn't expect to see him today. But Kara helped me through it, and she brought me to see my therapist afterward. She knew I needed to talk about what had happened."

Astra was still upset. "But this man should be punished for his actions!"

"I agree with you, Aunt Astra," Kara said. "He deserves to pay for what he did." She, too, had struggled to let go over her own anger over the situation. "But the most important thing right now is helping Cat through this. Let's not waste our time thinking about him."

Astra nodded. She could understand that. "What do you need us to do?" she asked Cat.

Cat smiled at the earnest expression on Astra's face. "Let's do something fun tonight. I need to get him out of my head."

"I've got an idea," Kara said, smiling.

SCSCSCSCSCSC

Kara was laughing so hard that tears were running down her face. Astra, on the other hand, was not amused. "I do not understand why it landed in the water. My technique was correct." So far, her attempts at playing Wii Golf had been a dismal failure, and she did not see the humor in this situation.

"I don't think it registers super-speed, Astra," Kara said breathlessly, and dissolved into giggles again at the pout on Astra's face.

"This game is flawed," Astra said grouchily.

"That's why they call it a game," Alex pointed out. "It doesn't matter who wins." That wasn't entirely true, of course, but since Alex was winning by a huge margin, she could afford to be comforting.

"But I like to win!" Astra responded, and the pout on her face was so reminiscent of Kara's that Alex began to giggle as well. "Why are you laughing?"

Cat smiled. "Maybe it's time for another game. Mario Kart?"

"Yaaassss!" Kara said happily. Alex rolled her eyes. Kara would destroy them. But this game would be easier for Astra, with her super-reflexes, to master. Cat was just trying to be nice.

An hour later, they turned off the console for the night. "That game was much better-designed," Astra stated firmly.

Cat rolled her eyes. "You're just happy that you won."

Alex laughed. "Everyone likes to win." She yawned. "I'm going to bed. Good night, everyone."

The rest of them nodded, and got ready for bed. When they were ready, Kara climbed into bed beside Cat, and wrapped the woman in her arms. She was not going to sleep tonight. She didn't need as much sleep as humans, and she wanted to be awake when Cat's nightmares arrived. She kissed Cat good night and murmured, "I'm here, Cat. I'll be right here with you." Then she settled in to wait.


	25. Chapter 25

"Kara!" An urgent whisper cut through the silence. Kara looked at the clock. 11:39 p.m.

"Yeah?" she whispered back.

Alex appeared by the side of the bed. "There's a fire."

"Alex," Kara sighed, "I can't leave Cat right now. I promised."

"I know, Kara, and I wouldn't have told you, but it's a children's hospital. About a hundred patients."

Kara closed her eyes. She couldn't leave Cat. But all those children… Alex was right. She had to go.

Alex grasped her hand firmly, seeing her hesitation. "Kara, I'll stay here the whole time you're gone, okay?"

She reluctantly got out of bed and put on her supersuit, looking back at Cat several times. "Thanks, Alex." She still didn't want to leave, but knowing that her sister would stay with Cat helped a lot. She squeezed Alex's hand and took off.

She arrived just after the fire trucks, and saw doctors and patients gathered out front, setting up treatment areas so that they could receive patients. The firemen were setting up ladders to rescue some of the children and fight the blaze. She saw the looks of relief on their faces at the sight of a superhero, and hoped she could live up to their expectations. She scanned the hospital's interior and saw at least fifty people still trapped inside.

"Supergirl, there are a lot of patients in there. Most of them can't move because the fire is in their way, but there are also a few that are bedridden or in wheelchairs. Please, try to save as many as you can."

She nodded grimly, and then got to work. She focused on the back half of the building first, since that's where the fire was concentrated. She started on the ground floor and worked her way up, using her super-speed to collect one patient after another and deposit them in front of the waiting doctors outside. Patients who could walk on their own were checked for injuries and herded toward a building across the street, while those unable to move were loaded onto gurneys. She made a dozen trips in, and then a dozen more. As she worked her way toward the upper floors, she found the cancer ward, and tried not to think about how sick some of the patients were as she lifted them out of bed. Then she found the cardiac ward, and did her best to carry the necessary equipment along with each patient, knowing that some were dependent upon the heart monitors or oxygen tanks that sat alongside them.

SCSCSCSCSCSC

Alex sat down on Kara's side of the bed, staying on top of the covers. She felt a little awkward getting into a bed with her sister's girlfriend, but she wasn't leaving Cat alone. Not after seeing how hesitant Kara was to leave. So she settled into a sitting position over the blankets, leaning back against the headboard and staring into the darkness.

After the events of today, she anticipated that Cat would have trouble sleeping tonight. She assumed that Cat's distress took the form of nightmares. If so, she would be here to wake Cat up. And sure enough, half an hour later, Cat began to stir. She twisted around in bed, whispering "no" and "stop," and Alex's heart broke at seeing Cat's distress.

She reached over and shook Cat's shoulder. "Cat, wake up. You're dreaming. Come back to me, Cat. It's okay. You're safe." After a few moments, Cat leapt up in the bed, eyes wide open in alarm. Alex continued to speak softly, murmuring soothing phrases until Cat's breathing had slowed to normal. Then Alex placed her hand on Cat's back, rubbing it slowly up and down while Cat composed herself.

"Kara is out saving children, so you're stuck with me," Alex said quietly. "I hope that's okay."

Cat buried her head in her hands, partly to calm herself down, but mainly to cope with her own embarrassment. It was one thing to have Kara here: Kara knew all about the nightmares. Cat had accepted that Kara would be there for her. But Alex? She liked Alex, and trusted her. But she wasn't about to start sharing the contents of her nightmares with Kara's sister.

Alex knew that Cat felt embarrassed. She needed to say something, to offer the older woman some reassurance. "Cat," she began softly, "you don't have to tell me anything. All Kara said is that you don't sleep well when she's not here. Neither one of us wanted you to be alone. I'm not going to ask you what you dreamt about, although you can tell me if you want to. All I want to do is be here for you. Can I give you a hug?"

Cat looked at Alex, and nodded silently. Alex pulled the older woman toward her, and wrapped her arms around Cat. She leaned back against the headboard, pulling Cat with her so that the woman was leaning on her shoulder. She held Cat like that for a while, running her arms up and down Cat's shoulders and squeezing her close. Slowly, she felt Cat beginning to relax into the hug.

After a few more minutes, Alex began speaking again, wanting to make sure Cat understood that there was no pressure to say anything. "I'm sorry I'm not Kara. I know you would rather have her here right now, and I'm sure she'll be back soon. But Cat, you don't need to talk, or do anything you don't want to do. I just don't want you to be alone. I hope that's okay with you."

Cat nodded and wrapped her arms around the younger woman. Alex was offering her exactly what she needed right now – no pressure to talk, just love and support. "Thank you."

"Of course, Cat. That's what friends are for." She ran a hand through Cat's hair. "Do you want to try to sleep again, or would you rather stay awake?"

"Let's just… I'd rather just stay like this for a while," Cat said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Sounds good," Alex said, squeezing Cat tightly.

SCSCSCSCSCSC

By this time, Supergirl had moved on to parts of the building that were less affected by fire. She found children with broken bones and other wounds, patients who'd undergone head trauma, still more cancer patients, and children suffering from an assortment of other illnesses. It was heartbreaking work, knowing that no matter how many patients she saved tonight, many were still battling for their lives. After dropping off the last patient, one whose eye infection had caused blindness, she sank to the ground, weary. The work had taken a physical toll on her, but that was nothing compared to the mental anguish of seeing so many scared and desperately ill children. She scanned the building one last time, and saw that it was finally empty. Fortunately, she'd been able to rescue them all, at least for tonight.

She gratefully accepted a bottle of water from one of the workers, and gulped it down. Instantly, three more bottles of water were thrust in her direction. She nodded her thanks and took a moment to drink more water before taking off again. Once she was back in the air, she helped the firemen to extinguish the last of the flames with her freeze breath.

She landed again, and this time the exhaustion caused her to sink to her knees. She stumbled awkwardly to her feet as workers ran over to help her, and told them she was fine, just tired. One of the doctors insisted that she sit down for a moment and eat something, and she nodded in agreement. She would need to replenish her system after so much flying. A few workers went to get her some food, and the doctor brought over some clean washcloths and began to wipe her face. Embarrassed, the hero began to protest, but the doctor smiled and explained that her face was covered in dark soot, making her look terrifying. Kara laughed, and thanked him for the assistance. She gratefully accepted more washcloths to clean off her hands.

The superhero was handed a plate with half a dozen sandwiches, which she quickly devoured. "Thank you," she said. "I needed that." She thanked the workers around her, and stood up. She took off for Cat's apartment, her heart sinking as she realized how long she'd been gone.

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When she landed on the balcony, she saw that Cat's light was on, and that Alex and Cat were sitting up on the bed with their arms around each other. The guilt she felt at not being there for Cat was tempered by the relief that Alex hadn't let her down. She stepped into the bedroom, and the two women looked up and smiled at her. "Hey," she said awkwardly.

"Supergirl, you smell like a campfire," Cat announced, wrinkling her nose.

Kara grinned. "You should've seen me earlier. I was covered in soot."

"Well, go clean yourself off. You're not getting into bed like that." Kara smiled and walked into the bathroom to shower.

Cat said hesitantly, "Alex, you don't need to stay. Kara will be here soon enough–"

"No," Alex said forcefully, interrupting Cat's sentence. "I'm here until Kara takes my place. I promised her you wouldn't be alone, and I meant it." She smiled at Cat. "You're like a sister to me. Please, let me take care of you, just for a little longer."

The last of Cat's embarrassment faded away. How could she have been worried about trusting Alex? "What would I do without you?" she murmured. "You're an amazing friend."

"Likewise, Cat," Alex said, smiling warmly.

Kara stepped out of the bathroom, back in her pajamas and ready for bed. Alex looked at her and shook her head. "Seriously, you wear pink pajamas with dancing hippos on them? Cat, how can you allow this?"

"What?" Kara asked. "They're cute!"

Cat rolled her eyes, and said to Alex, "I can't wait for the day when she learns to dress like a grownup."

"Hey!"

Cat laughed. "It's a good thing she's so gorgeous. Otherwise I would've burned her whole wardrobe by now. But honestly, she can make anything look sexy."

"Okay, that's my cue to leave," Alex said, wincing and leaping off the bed. "Have a good night, you two."

"You think I'm gorgeous?" Kara repeated hopefully.

"No, Kara, I don't think you're gorgeous. I KNOW you are," Cat corrected. "Now come here and tell me about whatever emergency had you tracking soot into my bedroom," she said with a smile.

"Oh, Cat," Kara sighed, "it was awful. A fire at the children's hospital. Over a hundred kids had to be evacuated. I carried about half of them." She snuggled into bed next to Cat and began to describe some of what she had seen. "I just wish I could've done more to help," she said, shaking her head.

Cat listened quietly, running her hands through Kara's hair and up and down her back. This rescue had been difficult for her, and Cat knew she needed to talk about it. She also thought she might have an idea that would cheer Kara up a little bit, but that would have to wait until morning. For now, she was just grateful to have Kara back where she belonged.


	26. Chapter 26

Twice more during the night, Cat had nightmares. Each time, Kara was there to calm her down and hold her while she pulled herself back together. When she had recovered, Cat briefly described the dreams, while Kara held the older woman tightly in her arms. Cat understood that ignoring the dreams wasn't going to help, and she knew that Kara could handle whatever she needed to talk about. So she opened up, little by little, sharing bits and pieces of her past.

The next morning, Cat woke up before Kara. She thought briefly about getting out of bed, but she was so comfortable in Kara's arms that she couldn't bear to leave. She burrowed in closer, running her fingers over the sliver of exposed skin on Kara's stomach, and quickly became entranced by the hero's soft, warm skin. How was it that Kara's skin could be impervious to bullets, but still feel so soft and yielding?

Kara gradually became aware of a hand running across the skin of her abdomen, tracing lazy circles and following the contours of her stomach muscles. At first, the motion was soothing, but when she realized that it was Cat's hand caressing her skin, it took on a distinctly different feel. Kara noticed her heartbeat speeding up, and her skin was slightly flushed. Without opening her eyes, she pulled Cat closer until their lips met in a soft, languid kiss. She sighed happily, and deepened the kiss as she wrapped one arm behind Cat's neck and the other around her back. At Cat's moan, she slid a tongue between newly-parted lips, and gently worked her way into Cat's mouth, delighting in running her tongue along teeth and exploring every inch of Cat's soft lips.

Cat's hand slid upward from Kara's stomach to her chest, underneath her shirt, and Kara gasped as the hand grazed her breast. "Please," she whispered, and arched her back into Cat's touch. Cat began to run her fingers lightly up and down Kara's chest, caressing the smooth skin and round curves. Kara's hands began their own slow exploration, slipping underneath Cat's nightgown onto the warm skin beneath, and Cat gasped at the woman's touch.

These sensations were new for Cat. Although she'd had many sexual encounters, it had been a long time since any of them felt even remotely like this. Kara's touch was gentle and unhurried, as if she was cherishing every inch of Cat's body. Cat hadn't known that anything could feel like this. She had sought partners for sex, thinking that the release what what she'd needed – but in fact, she'd been looking for this closeness. The combination of love and desire that Kara's movements communicated ignited a fire within her.

As Kara slowly pulled the nightgown up over Cat's head and lowered her mouth to kiss Cat's collarbone, the older woman stopped thinking entirely.

Neither woman heard the door open until Astra's voice penetrated their haze. "Cat, I brought you some coffee. Your coffee pot did not include instructions, so I hope I made it correctly. I assumed you would want some after spending so much time awake last night. When you have finished your sexual encounter with my niece, you will find it on the dresser." She left the room and closed the door.

Kara, whose mouth had stilled at hearing Astra's voice, was frozen in shock. Cat, too, was rendered speechless for a moment. She struggled to think of any words that could possibly capture the moment, and then she began to giggle. Hearing her giggles, Kara began to laugh as well. The two of them laughed harder and harder, until they were gasping for breath and tears were running down their faces. Cat repeated, in a terrible imitation of Astra's voice, "When you have finished your sexual encounter with my niece…" and Kara winced, setting Cat off all over again.

When they had finally composed themselves somewhat, Kara said weakly, "I think maybe it's time I had a talk with Astra about sex and privacy. Rao help me."

Cat laughed. "I thought maybe we could hand that one off to Alex. No offense, Kara, but she is much better at that kind of conversation."

"Oh, I completely agree. You think she'll do that for me?"

Cat laughed. "I wasn't actually going to ask her. I just figured I'd tell her the story, and she'll take it from there."

Kara smiled. "Good thinking. Alex will totally do that." She sat up, sighing. The mood had been broken, and neither woman was ready to continue what they had started. "Would you like me your coffee now?" she asked.

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When the two women emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later, Alex was sitting on the couch in the living room. At Kara's look, she said, "What did I do?"

"Well," Kara said, "that depends. How long have you been sitting there?" Had Alex watched Astra barge into Cat's bedroom?

"About thirty seconds, why?"

Cat laughed. "You're off the hook, then. Astra was in our room a few minutes ago. She wanted to make sure that I got my coffee this morning." She rolled her eyes. "She left it on the dresser for when I finished my sexual encounter with her niece." She laughed again, able to appreciate the humor of it now that the moment was past.

Alex's mouth fell open. "She just walked in? And said that?"

Kara nodded, flushing a deep red.

Alex stared for a moment, and began to giggle. She and Cat were soon laughing hysterically, and Kara somewhat reluctantly joined in.

Astra entered the room. "What is so amusing? Cat, was the coffee made to your satisfaction?"

Cat managed to choke out, "It was perfect," while Alex laughed even harder.

"Why is everyone laughing?" Astra asked, genuinely confused.

Alex took a few deep breaths to calm herself before answering. "Astra, here on Earth, it is considered rude to walk into a room where two people are making out."

"Making… what?"

"Kissing, touching, having sex, whatever," Alex said. "That's a very private act, and people don't want to be seen engaging in it."

"But why? It is a beautiful activity," Astra said. "Like an elegant dance."

Kara closed her eyes in embarrassment. Alex responded, "Humans are very self-conscious about those kinds of things. I'd recommend knocking the next time you want to enter a room with a closed door."

Astra nodded, still somewhat baffled but willing to accept the advice. "All right. I am sorry if I made you self-conscious, Cat, but you should not be. You have a beautiful body."

Alex snorted. "NOT helping, Astra," she said, grinning. "Telling people they have a beautiful body is just as inappropriate, unless you're flirting with them."

"Oh," Astra said, frowning. "What is flirting?"

Alex put her head in her hands. "I swear, this is ten times worse than talking to Kara about this stuff."

Cat laughed. "Astra, flirting is something that two people do if they are interested in being in a relationship with each other. Sometimes it means initiating touches, or complimenting how someone looks, and it's usually done very gradually so that the other person can flirt back if they're interested. It's a way of subtly asking permission to pursue a relationship."

Astra nodded. "Can you give me an example?" She wanted to understand these human customs.

"All right," Cat said. She, too, wanted Astra to understand, especially because she hoped that Astra might use these strategies on Alex. "Let's say I'm interested in getting to know Kara. I might start by taking her hand and holding it while we're walking, to see if she pulls away. And maybe I'll tell her that she has beautiful eyes, or that I think a dress makes her look even more gorgeous than usual. If she smiles at me in return, or says something equally flattering to me, then perhaps I'll take it a step further by kissing her on the cheek or touching her face, like this," she said, stroking Kara's cheek softly. And if it seems like we're both interested, then maybe we could go past flirting and kiss each other."

"I understand," Astra said. "You are trying to let each other know you are interested, without saying it out loud. It seems rather inefficient, though."

Cat smiled. "It's called romance, Astra. It builds up the anticipation, and makes the other person feel desired."

"I see," Astra said. She had a lot of thinking to do about this.

"So…" Cat said. "Let's have breakfast, and then I'm taking Kara on a surprise trip. You're both welcome to come," she said to Alex and Astra, "although Astra, you should think about the fact that people might recognize you from the streak in your hair."

Astra nodded. "I will put my hair up and hide the streak."

"All right. Let's eat, and then I need you to change into your suit, Kara."

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"Where are we going?" Kara asked for the sixth time.

"Kara, do you understand what the word 'surprise' means?" Alex said, smiling.

Kara frowned and got into the car. "It feels weird sitting in a car in my suit."

"You'll get over it," Cat said drily. "Let's go." She got into the driver's seat, turned on the car, and took off.

Kara looked at her in surprise. "Cat, you can drive?"

"Of course, Kara. I just choose not to, most of the time. My time is better spent doing other things."

After a few minutes, they pulled up to the building across the street from the children's hospital. It was a hotel, and was serving as a temporary home for all of the patients. "My understanding is that these patients are going to be moved to other hospitals shortly, so this was our only chance to see them all at once."

Kara looked at her, puzzled. "Why are we here?"

"Kara," Cat said, "last night you saw all of these children in a moment of crisis. They were sick, scared, and traumatized, and I'm sure they didn't appreciate their chance to meet Supergirl. I know it was upsetting to you to see so many vulnerable, sick children. Today, you're going to see them under more normal circumstances. You're going to realize how much hope they still have, and how much you can lift those spirits."

She smiled. "And, of course, CatCo will have a photo spread on your visit. James is here to take pictures. It's a tremendous marketing opportunity."

Alex rolled her eyes. They all knew that had nothing to do with why Cat was here today. She was here simply because Kara needed a boost, and this would provide it.

Kara looked at her uncertainly. "Are you sure they don't mind me walking through the hallways? I don't have a visitor's badge or anything…"

Alex snorted. "Oh, come on. You're Supergirl."

Cat added, "I called ahead. Don't worry."

When they entered the building, James was already there waiting, and he greeted them with hugs and smiles. While Alex introduced him to Astra, Supergirl turned to speak with the receptionist, who was already rushing over to shake her hand.

"Supergirl! We're so grateful that you took the time to visit today! Things are a little chaotic here right now, so please don't mind the clutter. They're going to be so excited to see you!"

Kara shook her head, overwhelmed by the woman's enthusiasm. "I'm happy to be here. I wanted to come and officially meet all of these children. I didn't get a chance to talk with any of them last night."

"Well," the receptionist said, "Mary will be taking you around to each of the rooms. You're welcome to spend as much time as you'd like. We're just so honored to have you here!"

Cat laughed at the slightly uncomfortable look on Kara's face, and said, "Come on, Supergirl. Your fans are waiting."

Fortunately for Kara, Mary was a little less of a gusher. She was warm and friendly, without being quite so overwhelming. She led the group of them to the patients on the first floor, and Kara began to visit each room.

Every visit started with a knock on the door, followed by looks of shock and elation on the faces of patients and their families. "Supergirl," whispered one little boy with a cast on his leg. "Is it really you?"

Kara smiled and nodded. "Hi there. What's your name?"

"I'm Jonny," he said shyly. I broke my leg trying to fly like you."

"Jonny, that wasn't a good idea!" Kara said, appalled. "Flying is my superpower. Each of us has different powers, and you need to figure out what yours are before you do something dangerous like that."

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "I'm a really good reader. My teacher says I'm one of the best in the class."

"See?" Kara responded. "There you go! Maybe when your classmates are having a hard time reading, you can offer them your help. That's how you become a hero – by using your own strengths to help others."

He nodded seriously. "I'll remember that."

"Good," said the superhero, smiling. "I hope you feel better soon."

"Before you go," he asked shyly, "will you sign my cast?"

"I would be honored," the Kryptonian said. She picked up the marker, and then paused for a moment before signing in Kryptonese.

"Wow," he breathed in awe.

Kara laughed. "It was nice to meet you, Jonny," she said. She waved to Jonny's father, who nodded gratefully, and left the room.

Back in the hallway, Cat said, "Don't let this go to your head, Supergirl. I don't know if all this adoration is good for you."

Kara smiled. "This was your idea. And you were right – it's nice to see them when they're not so upset."

Cat saw Astra reach for Alex's hand as they walked down the hallway, and Alex squeezed it in return. She grinned. Another mission accomplished.

They made their way slowly through the halls of the hotel. Supergirl visited individually with each patient, and listened as they chatted excitedly about the events in their lives and how much they looked up to her. Even the sickest patients were thrilled to see her, and Kara realized that seeing a superhero gave them hope that anything was possible.

When they finally exited the last room, the hero pulled Cat into a hug. "Thank you so much for bringing me here. It meant so much to these children, and I feel like maybe I gave some of them a little bit of hope." She fought to keep the tears in her eyes from falling.

Cat pulled back slightly, and looked into Kara's eyes. "Supergirl, you give all of us hope, every day. I just wanted you to see that for yourself."

Kara smiled and hugged her again. "Thank you."


	27. Chapter 27

When they got home, Cat insisted on taking an extra-long shower, and made everyone else do the same. "Who knows what diseases we picked up in there!" she said indignantly. "I will not have those germs in my home." They all rolled their eyes and complied. When they had all showered and changed, Cat made a pasta dish for lunch, shooing the rest of them out of the kitchen so they would stay out of her way. The other three gathered in the living room.

Kara and Alex sat down on the couch, while Astra hovered awkwardly for a moment. She thought about what Cat had said about flirting. She could say that Alex had beautiful eyes, or that her outfit made her look pretty. Something flattering about her appearance. She took a deep breath, and blurted out, "Alex, those pants are an excellent choice for you. They reveal the perfect shape of your buttocks."

Kara's mouth fell open, and Alex's eyes widened. The two sisters looked at each other, and began giggling hysterically. They were laughing so hard and so loud that a moment later, Cat poked her head in to see what was so funny. Seeing Astra standing there looking confused, she murmured, "Oh boy. What just happened?"

Alex tried to form words, and after several attempts, she said, "This one is your fault, Cat." She struggled to compose herself.

Astra sighed and shook her head. "I do not understand." She turned to Cat. "I simply complimented Alex on her choice of pants, because they display the perfect shape of her buttocks. Is that not a form of flirting?"

As Cat began to giggle, Alex took pity on the Kryptonian. This was all so new to her. She stood up and walked over to Astra. Taking the older woman's hands in her own, Alex smiled and said, "For future reference, buttocks are considered awkward for public conversations, as are the genital areas and breasts."

Astra's shoulders slumped. "I will never do this correctly."

Alex shook her head. "I disagree. I think you're doing exceptionally well." She stepped forward, put her hands on Astra's cheeks, and kissed her softly on the lips. "That," she murmured, "was a thank you for the compliment." She slipped her arms around Astra's shoulders. "And this one is to show you that I feel the same way." She kissed Astra again, just as softly, and pulled the woman closer as she deepened the kiss. Cat grabbed Kara's hand and yanked her toward the kitchen to give the two women some privacy. Kara grinned and allowed herself to be led away. She had seen them holding hands earlier, as well as Alex's subtle glances and Astra's not-so-subtle staring. Although she was thoroughly enjoying Astra's attempts at flirting, it was about time these two figured things out.

SCSCSCSCSCSC

After lunch, Alex decided that Astra and Kara should spend some time out in the sun. She suggested going to the beach, but Cat wanted no part of that. "I bought a beach house so that I could avoid dealing with the masses when I want to go swimming," she pointed out.

"Fine," Alex said. "Then let's use it."

"It's an hour away, Alex. By the time we get there, it'll be mid-afternoon."

"You really think we're going to drive there?" Alex said, raising an eyebrow.

Cat laughed. "You're right; that does save us some time," she admitted. "Does everyone have a bathing suit?"

Alex put a hand up to cut off Astra's questions before they could begin. "Astra, take me to my apartment. I'll find suits for both of us." The Kryptonian nodded, picked Alex up, and took off. They returned a few minutes later with bathing suits under their clothing, carrying towels and sunscreen. Cat had grabbed a few snacks from the kitchen as well, and Kara grabbed the big bag of supplies.

"Ready?" Kara asked. She had visited Cat's beach house once before (not including a number of times without Cat's knowledge, to check up on the woman's sleeping patterns), and knew where it was, so she grabbed Cat into her arms and led the way. Astra followed with Alex. They arrived at the beach house within a couple of minutes, despite flying slowly for the comfort of their human passengers.

When they touched down in front of the house, Alex shook her head. "Wow, Cat, this place is gorgeous."

"I know," Cat responded. "I don't use it nearly as much as I should." She laughed. "Although maybe with my new system of transportation, it will be more convenient." She motioned them forward. "Come on in."

Cat let them into the house, and put the snacks in the kitchen. Then they headed outside, to her private section of beach, and spread their towels out on the ground. Cat undressed, and displayed a black-and-white striped bikini that revealed smooth, creamy skin. Alex's one-piece swimsuit was also black, of course, and slightly more modest, but still painted a striking picture, with her well-toned body and long legs. Astra had managed to find a bikini in Alex's drawers, and the Kryptonian's flawless body showed no hint that she'd spent her life as a soldier. Kara, of course, wore a royal blue one-piece suit, and once she took off her glasses, the similarities to Supergirl were unmistakable.

Cat rolled her eyes. "How did I ever believe you weren't Supergirl?"

"Kara," Alex added, "we might want to get rid of that suit, unless Supergirl is planning on doing some water rescues or a swimsuit calendar."

Kara blushed. "Well, I probably wouldn't wear this in public," she offered. "I just figured it's a private beach."

"I have to admit," Cat said, "I was hoping for a skimpy bikini." She looked Kara up and down, desire filling her eyes. "Though I'm still enjoying the view."

Kara flushed, and Alex rolled her eyes. "Kara doesn't wear bikinis."

"It's like going to the beach in your underwear!" she explained. Eyeing Cat's attire, she admitted, "Not that I mind when a beautiful woman does that."

"Please stop," Alex said. "I've heard more than enough. Who's going in?"

They charged into the water – all except Cat, who was content to sunbathe – and Kara showed Astra how to lie on her back and float. "It is almost like flying," her aunt said. "The motion of the waves is very soothing."

Kara grinned. "Come on, Alex. Race you."

"Fine," Alex said, "but no superpowers." Alex was a strong swimmer, having grown up near the beach. Kara was not as much of a natural, but being able to fly more than compensated.

"No promises," Kara said, and they were off. Astra tagged along, watching how the two women used their arms and legs to propel themselves forward, and tried to mimic their motions. By the time Alex and Kara had tired themselves out, Astra was doing a decent imitation of a swimmer.

"Not bad, Astra," Alex said. "Are you using your powers at all?"

"A little," Astra admitted. "Just to help me float."

"Well, I'm impressed. You're a fast learner. But there's something you haven't experienced yet." Alex grabbed Astra's waist, and dunked her underwater. Astra pulled Alex down with her, and the two women came up sputtering and laughing.

'That was not fair," Astra said. Alex flicked her eyes to Kara, and Astra grinned. She grabbed her niece from behind, and yanked her underwater, using her Kryptonian strength. The two wrestled for a moment underwater before finally coming up for air.

Kara shook her head, grinning. "You're like a little kid." She splashed water at Astra's face. The three women splashed and wrestled for a couple of minutes, until Alex grabbed Astra in an embrace and got rather distracted by Astra's lips on her neck. Kara mumbled, "See you later," and quickly ran out of the water.

The two women lost themselves in the moment, peppering each other's face and skin with feverish kisses, while Cat watched in amusement and Kara tried hard not to look. Astra murmured, "I have never felt like this before," as she continued to line Alex's face with soft kisses. "You are so beautiful."

Alex sighed and ran her hands over Astra's bare stomach. "We should probably stop. I don't think Kara appreciates seeing her aunt and sister like this."

Astra shook her head. "Human customs are odd." But she stopped kissing Alex and released the woman from her embrace. Alex grabbed her hand and led her toward the shore.

The four women spread out in the sun, and soaked in its rays for a while. For Kara and Astra, the sun was rejuvenating, while Alex and Cat found the warmth to be soothing. Eventually, they were interrupted by the twin growls of Kara's and Astra's stomach.

"Oh God, it's in stereo," Alex said, amused. "Two Kryptonian stomachs."

Cat laughed. "I guess we should go home for dinner. There are snacks in the kitchen if you need them to get us home," she said.

Kara nodded gratefully, and she and Astra headed inside to find food.

"Cat," Alex said, as the two women sat on their towels and watched the Kryptonians leave, "does this… thing… between Astra and me make Kara uncomfortable? Her aunt and her sister?" She thought that Kara had seemed okay with it, but she wanted to make sure.

"Alex," Cat responded, "Kara is thrilled for the two of you. So am I. I mean, I don't think she wants to watch you making out in front of her – it's a little weird for her – but I think she loves that two of her favorite people, from two different worlds, like each other so much."

"Okay," Alex said in relief.

Cat smiled. "Besides, the two of you are so perfect for each other. You know exactly how to help someone who's new to this planet, and she is just as fiercely protective as you are. You're both warriors, but underneath that you are incredibly loyal and caring."

Alex grabbed Cat in a quick hug. "Thanks," she said softly.

"What are sisters for?" Cat said, smiling.

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Just as the four woman were finishing dinner in Cat's apartment, Alex's phone rang. "Danvers," she snapped, and then listened for a minute. She looked at Kara. "Okay. I'll see." She hung up the phone and said, "Kara, there's a situation."

Cat asked, "What's wrong, Alex?"

Alex answered before Kara had the chance. "There's a hostage situation at National City University, in one of the frat houses. No alien presence, but Hank thought Kara might be able to help."

Cat nodded. "Kara, go save the day."

Kara nodded, whirled around to switch into her super-suit, and took off.


	28. Chapter 28

When Kara returned to Cat's apartment, she felt suddenly drained of energy. After last night's fire, Cat's bad dreams, and this morning's hospital visit, she was emotionally exhausted. She could have really used an evening off. Instead, she'd dealt with an intense situation, and attempted to help a woman in a horrible predicament. She landed on the balcony, shoulders slumped, and trudged slowly into the apartment.

Kara found the other three women in the living room, watching TV. Cat took one look at her face and leapt up to give her a hug. Keeping her arms around the younger woman, she murmured, "Oh, Kara, you did wonderfully. Sit down and tell us about it."

Kara sank gratefully onto the sofa. Cat crawled over next to her, putting her arms around the Kryptonian and snuggling into Kara's chest. She could see how weary the hero was, and wanted to give her a chance to talk about what she'd seen. She knew how difficult Kara's weekend had been so far, and she could see that the woman was reaching her breaking point. Even a superhero needed support sometimes.

Alex came back into the room with a tub of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Instantly, Kara's eyes lit up, and Alex noted out of the corner of her eye that Astra perked up as well. Rolling her eyes, Alex said, "There's more in the freezer, Astra. Help yourself." She handed Kara the ice cream and a spoon.

Once Kara had swallowed a few bites and Astra had returned with a container of her own, Cat looked at Kara expectantly. "Start at the beginning." Kara had talked with her briefly on the phone, but she wanted to hear the entire story. She also knew it would do Kara some good to talk through the whole event.

"Okay," Kara said, sighing. She described her entrance, and her surprise at seeing a female holding the gun. "I mean, I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised, but the chief had said gunman, and I just assumed…" She shook her head. "Anyway, she told me she'd been gang-raped, and that the guys were all in the room." She closed her eyes as the feeling of horror washed over her again.

"Does that mean what I think it does?" Astra interjected, ice cream temporarily abandoned. Cat nodded silently, and Astra frowned and shook her head. "These are well-educated men. How do they not understand the difference between right and wrong?"

"Astra," Kara said sadly, "you and I have both seen that just because a person knows something is wrong doesn't mean he won't do it." Astra considered that, and nodded sadly.

Alex knew that Kara needed to move on, rather than dwelling on the horror of the rape. "So you told Brittany that there were better ways to deal with it?" she guessed.

Kara nodded. "But then she said that her administrator advised her not to tell the police because it would be a difficult process for her. He told her to move on, and basically implied that it was her fault."

Cat pursed her lips angrily. "That's appalling," she muttered. "This is a story we need to write." She looked up at Kara. "Make sure you tell Lucy that her fees and any expenses will be covered by CatCo. Let's get this girl some help. It will give us better access to the story."

Kara nodded, although they all knew that Cat's offer had nothing to do with the story. "That's what I thought you'd say, and it's why I called you. Lucy will deal with the legal stuff, but we have to look into this."

"Kara, I think you should be in charge of this one. Do some research, work with Lucy, and write the story."

"Me?" Kara responded incredulously. Alex smiled. It was good to see Cat showing some faith in Kara.

"Yes, you. You're more than capable," Cat said.

"Are… are you sure?" Kara was a little overwhelmed by the task, but she was flattered by Cat's faith in her, and the rare compliment. When Cat nodded, she smiled and said, "Thank you."

Cat waved a hand dismissively. "It's about time I started making better use of your talents. You're supremely overqualified to be my assistant." Cat was happy to see that Kara's face looked a little less weary. Offering her this story to work on had helped her to cope with tonight's events, by giving her a way to help.

"You are so like your mother, Kara," Astra said softly. The other three women looked at her in surprise. They saw the love shining in her eyes, and the tinge of sadness that accompanied it. "She would be so proud of the woman you've become. You are always fighting to make this planet a better place, and to bring people hope and justice. You are everything she ever hoped you would be, and more."

Kara stared at her for a moment, eyes wide, before racing over and wrapping Astra in a hug so tight that only a Kryptonian could survive it. Tears began to run down her face, and Astra pulled her in tightly, stroking her hair and speaking softly to her in Kryptonese. When Kara finally composed herself and pulled away, she looked at Astra and whispered, "Thank you."

"Little One, I am so proud of you, and so grateful that I was given a chance to make things right."

"I'm proud of you too, Aunt Astra," Kara said quietly. "You made an incredibly difficult choice, and it probably saved our planet."

Astra smiled at her niece. "Thank you, Little One."

A few minutes later, Cat announced she was getting ready for bed, and the other women followed suit. Cat couldn't wait to spend time alone with Kara. Lately, it seemed like Kara kept being pulled away to fulfill her duties as Supergirl, and while Cat understood how important that role was, she wanted the hero to herself for a little while. Perhaps they could finish what they had started that morning.

As Kara entered the room, her eyes lit up at the sight of Cat already in bed. She smiled warmly and slid under the covers, pulling Cat closer and kissing the older woman thoroughly. Cat settled on top of her, sighing into the kiss and wrapping her arms around Kara's shoulders. "We keep getting interrupted," Kara murmured, "and there are things I really want to do to you."

"Oh, really?" Cat responded, smiling wickedly. "Like what?"

"Well," Kara said, "there are places I want to touch you." She slid her hands up the outsides of Cat's thighs, underneath her nightgown, and further up the sides of her chest, and then inched them forward to gently cup Cat's breasts. "Like here," she murmured, as Cat gasped at her touch. She pulled Cat's nightgown up over her head, and tossed it away. "And then I want to taste you." She brought her mouth down to Cat''s shoulder, and began kissing her way down to where her hands were gently massaging. "Every inch of you," she added, sliding one finger down Cat's stomach and dragging it lower, flicking the waistband of her underwear.

Cat couldn't remember ever being so turned on by a few simple touches. But it was the promise of what Kara's touch meant – the knowledge that each kiss, each gesture, was full of love – that made it feel so amazing. She pulled Kara's mouth up to her own and kissed her passionately, trying to communicate through gestures what she wasn't yet able to put into words. Then Cat placed her own hands onto Kara's stomach, sliding them slowly underneath Kara's shirt and dragging them upwards, and lowered her own mouth to kiss Kara's bare stomach. As the younger woman's breath caught, Cat ran her tongue along bare skin as her hands worked their way upward to Kara's chest.

At the sudden buzz of Kara's phone, both women groaned. "You have got to be kidding me," moaned Kara. She grabbed a pillow and threw it at the buzzing phone, to no avail.

"I'm going to smash your phone to bits," Cat growled.

At the knock on the bedroom door, Kara threw a second pillow at the door. It hit with a soft thud, and fell to the ground. "Kara, I'm so sorry," Alex said from behind the closed door. Kara sighed and got up to open the door, while Cat hid her half-naked body under the covers.

Alex looked apologetic as she said, "Kara, there's an alien. A couple of DEO agents are on their way, but it sounds like they might need some help. He can fly, for one thing. And I guess he shoots some sort of slimy liquid."

"No," Cat said forcefully. "Kara's done more than enough for the city this weekend. She saved children from a fire, visited the whole children's hospital, and resolved a hostage situation in the last twenty-four hours. This is getting ridiculous."

"I know, Cat," Alex said apologetically. "I don't like it either. I'm just passing on the request."

"Cat," Kara said, "you know I can't just say no. If something happens to those DEO agents, I'm going to feel awful. They need my help."

"I will go," said Astra quietly from the doorway. "I have the same powers as my niece, as well as military training. I can defeat this alien."

"Astra," questioned Alex, "are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Do you have some way to hide your identity?" Cat added. "Because you don't want to force yourself into hiding, if someone gets a picture of you."

"I can wrap a cloth around my head," Astra offered.

Cat smiled. "Oh, I can do better than that. We have some ski masks. You'll look like a bank robber, but it will hide your face and hair." She went into the closet, and found a black mask. "With an all-black outfit, this will work for tonight."

Astra nodded, and quickly went to change. A moment later, she was back, pulling the mask over her head. Cat helped her to arrange the mask so that only her eyes were showing.

Alex looked at her, and grinned. "You might get arrested on the way there, but it's a good disguise. Maybe we can find you something a little more colorful for next time." She looked more seriously at the Kryptonian. "Will you take me with you? I'm thinking the DEO can use the extra manpower; plus, I can keep the other agents from trying to shoot you."

Astra nodded. "Let's go." She grabbed Alex around the waist, and took off.

Kara smiled. "This will be really good for her. I need to stay up and make sure they're okay, though."

"Of course," Cat responded. "We both are." They turned on the TV and settled onto the sofa to wait.


	29. Chapter 29

When Kara returned to Cat's apartment, she felt suddenly drained of energy. After last night's fire, Cat's bad dreams, and this morning's hospital visit, she was emotionally exhausted. She could have really used an evening off. Instead, she'd dealt with an intense situation, and attempted to help a woman in a horrible predicament. She landed on the balcony, shoulders slumped, and trudged slowly into the apartment.

Kara found the other three women in the living room, watching TV. Cat took one look at her face and leapt up to give her a hug. Keeping her arms around the younger woman, she murmured, "Oh, Kara, you did wonderfully. Sit down and tell us about it."

Kara sank gratefully onto the sofa. Cat crawled over next to her, putting her arms around the Kryptonian and snuggling into Kara's chest. She could see how weary the hero was, and wanted to give her a chance to talk about what she'd seen. She knew how difficult Kara's weekend had been so far, and she could see that the woman was reaching her breaking point. Even a superhero needed support sometimes.

Alex came back into the room with a tub of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Instantly, Kara's eyes lit up, and Alex noted out of the corner of her eye that Astra perked up as well. Rolling her eyes, Alex said, "There's more in the freezer, Astra. Help yourself." She handed Kara the ice cream and a spoon.

Once Kara had swallowed a few bites and Astra had returned with a container of her own, Cat looked at Kara expectantly. "Start at the beginning." Kara had talked with her briefly on the phone, but she wanted to hear the entire story. She also knew it would do Kara some good to talk through the whole event.

"Okay," Kara said, sighing. She described her entrance, and her surprise at seeing a female holding the gun. "I mean, I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised, but the chief had said gunman, and I just assumed…" She shook her head. "Anyway, she told me she'd been gang-raped, and that the guys were all in the room." She closed her eyes as the feeling of horror washed over her again.

"Does that mean what I think it does?" Astra interjected, ice cream temporarily abandoned. Cat nodded silently, and Astra frowned and shook her head. "These are well-educated men. How do they not understand the difference between right and wrong?"

"Astra," Kara said sadly, "you and I have both seen that just because a person knows something is wrong doesn't mean he won't do it." Astra considered that, and nodded sadly.

Alex knew that Kara needed to move on, rather than dwelling on the horror of the rape. "So you told Brittany that there were better ways to deal with it?" she guessed.

Kara nodded. "But then she said that her administrator advised her not to tell the police because it would be a difficult process for her. He told her to move on, and basically implied that it was her fault."

Cat pursed her lips angrily. "That's appalling," she muttered. "This is a story we need to write." She looked up at Kara. "Make sure you tell Lucy that her fees and any expenses will be covered by CatCo. Let's get this girl some help. It will give us better access to the story."

Kara nodded, although they all knew that Cat's offer had nothing to do with the story. "That's what I thought you'd say, and it's why I called you. Lucy will deal with the legal stuff, but we have to look into this."

"Kara, I think you should be in charge of this one. Do some research, work with Lucy, and write the story."

"Me?" Kara responded incredulously. Alex smiled. It was good to see Cat showing some faith in Kara.

"Yes, you. You're more than capable," Cat said.

"Are… are you sure?" Kara was a little overwhelmed by the task, but she was flattered by Cat's faith in her, and the rare compliment. When Cat nodded, she smiled and said, "Thank you."

Cat waved a hand dismissively. "It's about time I started making better use of your talents. You're supremely overqualified to be my assistant." Cat was happy to see that Kara's face looked a little less weary. Offering her this story to work on had helped her to cope with tonight's events, by giving her a way to help.

"You are so like your mother, Kara," Astra said softly. The other three women looked at her in surprise. They saw the love shining in her eyes, and the tinge of sadness that accompanied it. "She would be so proud of the woman you've become. You are always fighting to make this planet a better place, and to bring people hope and justice. You are everything she ever hoped you would be, and more."

Kara stared at her for a moment, eyes wide, before racing over and wrapping Astra in a hug so tight that only a Kryptonian could survive it. Tears began to run down her face, and Astra pulled her in tightly, stroking her hair and speaking softly to her in Kryptonese. When Kara finally composed herself and pulled away, she looked at Astra and whispered, "Thank you."

"Little One, I am so proud of you, and so grateful that I was given a chance to make things right."

"I'm proud of you too, Aunt Astra," Kara said quietly. "You made an incredibly difficult choice, and it probably saved our planet."

Astra smiled at her niece. "Thank you, Little One."

A few minutes later, Cat announced she was getting ready for bed, and the other women followed suit. Cat couldn't wait to spend time alone with Kara. Lately, it seemed like Kara kept being pulled away to fulfill her duties as Supergirl, and while Cat understood how important that role was, she wanted the hero to herself for a little while. Perhaps they could finish what they had started that morning.

As Kara entered the room, her eyes lit up at the sight of Cat already in bed. She smiled warmly and slid under the covers, pulling Cat closer and kissing the older woman thoroughly. Cat settled on top of her, sighing into the kiss and wrapping her arms around Kara's shoulders. "We keep getting interrupted," Kara murmured, "and there are things I really want to do to you."

"Oh, really?" Cat responded, smiling wickedly. "Like what?"

"Well," Kara said, "there are places I want to touch you." She slid her hands up the outsides of Cat's thighs, underneath her nightgown, and further up the sides of her chest, and then inched them forward to gently cup Cat's breasts. "Like here," she murmured, as Cat gasped at her touch. She pulled Cat's nightgown up over her head, and tossed it away. "And then I want to taste you." She brought her mouth down to Cat''s shoulder, and began kissing her way down to where her hands were gently massaging. "Every inch of you," she added, sliding one finger down Cat's stomach and dragging it lower, flicking the waistband of her underwear.

Cat couldn't remember ever being so turned on by a few simple touches. But it was the promise of what Kara's touch meant – the knowledge that each kiss, each gesture, was full of love – that made it feel so amazing. She pulled Kara's mouth up to her own and kissed her passionately, trying to communicate through gestures what she wasn't yet able to put into words. Then Cat placed her own hands onto Kara's stomach, sliding them slowly underneath Kara's shirt and dragging them upwards, and lowered her own mouth to kiss Kara's bare stomach. As the younger woman's breath caught, Cat ran her tongue along bare skin as her hands worked their way upward to Kara's chest.

At the sudden buzz of Kara's phone, both women groaned. "You have got to be kidding me," moaned Kara. She grabbed a pillow and threw it at the buzzing phone, to no avail.

"I'm going to smash your phone to bits," Cat growled.

At the knock on the bedroom door, Kara threw a second pillow at the door. It hit with a soft thud, and fell to the ground. "Kara, I'm so sorry," Alex said from behind the closed door. Kara sighed and got up to open the door, while Cat hid her half-naked body under the covers.

Alex looked apologetic as she said, "Kara, there's an alien. A couple of DEO agents are on their way, but it sounds like they might need some help. He can fly, for one thing. And I guess he shoots some sort of slimy liquid."

"No," Cat said forcefully. "Kara's done more than enough for the city this weekend. She saved children from a fire, visited the whole children's hospital, and resolved a hostage situation in the last twenty-four hours. This is getting ridiculous."

"I know, Cat," Alex said apologetically. "I don't like it either. I'm just passing on the request."

"Cat," Kara said, "you know I can't just say no. If something happens to those DEO agents, I'm going to feel awful. They need my help."

"I will go," said Astra quietly from the doorway. "I have the same powers as my niece, as well as military training. I can defeat this alien."

"Astra," questioned Alex, "are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Do you have some way to hide your identity?" Cat added. "Because you don't want to force yourself into hiding, if someone gets a picture of you."

"I can wrap a cloth around my head," Astra offered.

Cat smiled. "Oh, I can do better than that. We have some ski masks. You'll look like a bank robber, but it will hide your face and hair." She went into the closet, and found a black mask. "With an all-black outfit, this will work for tonight."

Astra nodded, and quickly went to change. A moment later, she was back, pulling the mask over her head. Cat helped her to arrange the mask so that only her eyes were showing.

Alex looked at her, and grinned. "You might get arrested on the way there, but it's a good disguise. Maybe we can find you something a little more colorful for next time." She looked more seriously at the Kryptonian. "Will you take me with you? I'm thinking the DEO can use the extra manpower; plus, I can keep the other agents from trying to shoot you."

Astra nodded. "Let's go." She grabbed Alex around the waist, and took off.

Kara smiled. "This will be really good for her. I need to stay up and make sure they're okay, though."

"Of course," Cat responded. "We both are." They turned on the TV and settled onto the sofa to wait.


	30. Chapter 30

Astra landed next to where DEO agents were fighting a rather grotesque-looking alien. The creature, which had distinctly human characteristics except for scaled, leathery skin, was hovering in the air in front of the agents. As they watched, it let out a screech and exhaled some sort of yellowish liquid. The agents were able to take cover behind a couple of cars, but Alex and Astra watched the fronts of those cars sizzle and disintegrate.

"Wow," whispered Alex. "That stuff looks nasty." She and Astra circled around behind the alien. Astra leapt into the air, and as the creature reared back to strike again, Astra smashed into him from behind and slammed him into the ground. He thrashed around for a moment, but she punched him in the head, knocking him out cold.

Alex took charge. "Are you two okay?" she inquired, looking at the two agents who'd taken cover behind cars. They nodded, relieved, and Alex turned to Astra. "Let's get him to the DEO, into a protected cell, before he regains consciousness." Astra nodded her agreement. She grabbed Alex under one arm and the alien with the other, and took off.

They quickly made their way to the DEO, without the creature stirring. "This way," Alex directed, and Astra followed with the creature in tow. They locked the creature into a sturdy cage, and then Alex turned on emitters in the doorway to the room. "Apparently, this creature has a weakness for iodine. It will make him temporarily lose his powers, and renders his super-spit totally harmless. Watch out, though; it's still pretty slimy."

Astra nodded. "I would rather not experience that."

"Me neither," Alex responded. She sealed the cell, and locked the door to the room. "Ready to go?" she asked Astra, smiling.

In response, Astra wrapped her arms around the agent, kissed her thoroughly, and then took off into the night.

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When they arrived back at Cat's apartment, they found the other two women waiting for them in the living room. "Astra, you were amazing!" Kara said excitedly. "You took down that alien so quickly!"

Cat grinned. "The commentators were going out of their minds, trying to figure out who you were and where you came from. Astra, we should talk about what you want to do next. You need a nickname, and you need a real costume. This one is a little frightening."

Alex suggested, "We could just call her Superwoman. She's older than Kara."

"Superaunt?" volunteered Kara, grinning.

"No, she needs her own identity," responded Cat, shaking her head. Especially if she's going to wear a mask, because she won't look at all like the two of you."

"I don't think she actually needs a mask," offered Kara. "What if she just wore a hat or put her hair up?"

Alex nodded. "You're right. It's the hair that identifies you. We can also make you a pair of glasses like Kara's for your everyday outfit, if you want. They're lined with lead, to help you block out your x-ray vision."

Astra nodded thoughtfully. "These are all good ideas."

"Let's think about it overnight," said Cat. "Come up with some ideas for nicknames, and then we'll work on the costume." They all agreed, and headed back to bed.

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It had been only about an hour since they'd been called out of bed, and Cat couldn't stop thinking about what they'd started. She wanted desperately to touch Kara, and feel her responding to that touch. She wanted to hear Kara moaning and gasping in ecstasy. The thought drove Cat mad with desire; she didn't think she could stand to wait another day. She took Kara's hand as they entered the bedroom, and pulled the younger woman close. They wrapped their arms around each other, and shared a hot, messy kiss that picked up right where they had left off. Cat deepened the kiss by looping her arms around Kara's neck and yanking her head even closer.

Kara moaned at the feel of soft lips and a forceful tongue, as her own hands undid the waistband of Cat's robe and pulled it off of her shoulders. She ran them up and down the older woman's sides, rubbing them lightly on Cat's breasts before they descended again to slip underneath her nightgown. She softly caressed Cat's sides and stomach before ghosting her hands over the woman's soft breasts. She continued to lightly trace Cat's body, naked except for a pair of panties, until the woman was desperately arching toward her hands in search of something more.

Cat moaned as Kara continued to tease her mercilessly, hovering lightly over sensitive areas but never providing the pressure that Cat craved. She was incredibly, desperately turned on, and she wanted this woman more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life.

Cat gripped the front of Kara's shirt, still kissing her passionately, and shoved her backward until Kara was braced against the wall. "You're still fully dressed," she murmured. "That needs to change." She dragged fingers up and down Kara's body a few times, caressing her breasts and sides, before slipping her hands underneath Kara's pajama top and slowly dragging it up over Kara's head. Rather than exploring Kara's naked chest with her hands, however, Cat placed her hands on Kara's shoulders and gently shoved her into the wall. Meanwhile, her mouth slid downward to kiss Kara's neck and collarbone. As she worked her way around the sides of Kara's neck, she felt the woman lean her head back to rest it against the wall. Cat licked her tongue across Kara's neck and felt the woman moan in response.

Cat began to lower her mouth slightly, working her way downward to Kara's chest. She flicked a tongue over one nipple, and then latched her mouth onto the tantalizing softness, feeling Kara's breath catch as she felt Cat's talented mouth sucking gently on her breast. Eventually, Cat released that breast and moved to the other, giving it just as much attention as the first.

After what seemed to Kara like an eternity, Cat finally began to slide her mouth even lower, placing soft kisses and gently running her hands and tongue across Kara's abdominal muscles and flat stomach. Kara's eyes were closed and her chest was heaving as she gasped with desire, and when Cat's mouth finally reached her waistband, she begged, "Cat, please. Oh Rao, I need you."

Cat smiled wickedly and began to drag Kara's remaining clothing down her thighs. She kept an agonizingly slow pace, running her hands all the way down Kara's outer thighs until Kara was completely naked in front of her. She paused for a moment, determined to memorize the beautiful sight of her superhero leaning against the wall, completely naked, eyes radiating desire and face flushed, and glistening with wetness before Cat had even touched her most sensitive areas. Cat knew that she was soaked as well, just from watching Kara's responses to her ministrations. God, when Kara finally touched her body, the sensation might actually kill her. It would be so worth it.

Starting with her ankles, Cat began to kiss and lick her way up the insides of Kara's legs. She couldn't wait to taste Kara, but she knew that she wanted this moment to last as long as possible. As she made her way up Kara's thighs, she began to taste the wetness that told her just how much Kara wanted her. "God, Kara, I've wanted to taste you for so long." At Kara's moan, she ran her tongue lightly up and down along the inner thigh, still not quite reaching the spot where they both wanted her to go.

"Cat, I can't… I need you. Please." Kara couldn't stand it anymore. She needed Cat, right now. She had never felt so desperate for anything.

"On the bed," Cat said hoarsely. She could barely speak, but their first time wasn't going to be against a wall. Kara scooted eagerly backward onto the bed, and Cat smiled as she crawled slowly after her girlfriend. She took a moment to admire Kara's gorgeous, flawless body, and another moment to kiss Kara soundly on the mouth, and then slid back down the hero's body to focus on what they'd both been craving.

She spread Kara's legs apart and finally lowered her mouth to press a light kiss to Kara's center. "More, please," Kara begged, and Cat complied, running her tongue down the length of Kara's slit as she gasped and thrust her hips forward. Cat flicked her clit a couple of times before lowering her mouth and beginning to work her way around with lips and tongue. She brought her hand in to massage Kara's center lightly, while slipping her tongue into Kara's opening. She followed a soft tongue with a finger, and felt Kara losing control. She sucked on Kara's clit and slipped her finger in and out, crooking her finger. Again, she entered Kara, and felt the woman's legs beginning to tremble. A few thrusts later, she felt Kara explode into an orgasm that wracked her whole body, causing her to shake and tremble as the sensations flooded her. Cat continued to move her fingers and work her tongue as Kara slowly came back to earth, working Kara's center lightly with fingers and tongue until the trembling had fully subsided.

Eventually, Kara recovered the use of her voice. "Cat," she murmured, "that was… I can't even…" She shook her head. "Wow."

Cat smiled happily. Watching Kara come apart had been the most satisfying sexual experience of her life, and she never thought she'd say that about something that didn't involve her own orgasm. But there was something about reducing the Girl of Steel to a gasping, trembling woman that made her feel incredibly powerful, and the chance to lavish attention on Kara's entire body allowed her to express the depths of her feelings in a way that she could handle.

Suddenly, Cat found herself lying on the bed, face up, with Kara's face peering down at her. "My turn," the Kryptonian murmured. "I've been wanting to do this for so long." She lowered her mouth to Cat's, and kissed her passionately, tasting herself on Cat's lips and tongue. Then she dragged her mouth downward, and began to follow the same trail that Cat's lips had on her body. She worshipped Cat's chest with her lips, tongue, and hands, caressing every inch of the woman's body. Cat felt completely and thoroughly cherished, and turned on beyond belief, but she never wanted this to end.

When Kara's mouth and hands finally reached the waistband of her panties, Cat was panting in anticipation. Kara slowly dragged the waistband downward, following its path with her lips for a moment. Then she pulled the panties the rest of the way off and gently nudged Cat's legs apart. "Oh Cat," she breathed. "You're so wet, and so beautiful."

"Kara, please…" Cat murmured. "I need you."

Kara grinned. She sank her head down between Cat's legs, and began to explore the area with her lips. She slipped her tongue between the folds, and licked along the length of Cat's center. Cat began thrusting her hips involuntarily, and Kara responded by flicking her tongue across Cat's clit. As Cat began to moan and tremble slightly, Kara entered Cat with her tongue, and began working it in and out slowly. She massaged Cat gently with her fingers, while caressing her with her tongue. Cat's hips bucked wildly as she approached a climax, and when Kara sank her mouth down onto Cat's clit and sucked, the older woman came apart completely.

When Cat's trembling finally subsided, Kara wiped her mouth and crawled in next to Cat on the bed. She kissed the woman's lips gently as they wrapped their arms around each other and snuggled into the embrace. Eventually, Cat murmured, "God, Kara, I've never felt anything like that. Not even close."

Kara's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked hopefully.

Cat nodded. "You are incredible." She smiled. "But I'm thinking that we could still use some more practice. Practice makes perfect."

Kara grinned. "Well, then, we should get started."

Cat sighed. As soon as she could move again, she intended to follow through on that.


	31. Chapter 31

The following morning, Kara woke up to a soft, warm presence cuddled into her chest. Last night had been amazing. Otherworldly. She hadn't known anything could feel like that, and she wanted to experience it again and again. But it wasn't just about the sex. What made last night special was the love that had been channeled into each touch. Feelings that neither woman had been willing to put into words were displayed openly through their caresses.

As incredible as last night had been, perhaps the best part of the whole experience was happening right now. Lying naked under the covers, with Cat's body curled around her own… this was what she craved more than anything. Just being close to Cat, feeling like their bodies were intertwined, and knowing that Cat trusted her completely.

She had been sleeping in Cat's bed for a while now, and they had spent most of that time snuggled close together. Still, there was something special about this morning's embrace, after the night they had shared. Kara felt closer to Cat than she ever had. She smiled and tightened her arms around Cat.

Without opening her eyes, Cat mumbled, "It's way too early to smile like that."

Kara laughed, and responded, "I can't help it. I'm just so happy." She pulled the older woman on top of her to kiss her gently.

"Me too," Cat admitted, smiling. "Last night was incredible." She kissed Kara back, and then said softly, "I love you, Kara."

Kara smiled and responded, "I love you too, Cat." They had admitted it once before, when Kara was discussing their relationship with Astra, but this was the first time they'd spoken the words directly to each other. After last night, though, neither one was shy about admitting it. Kara sighed happily and lost herself in Cat's touch.

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It was a lazy Sunday morning. Cat and Kara didn't emerge from their bedroom until after 10 a.m., an eternity for Kara's Kryptonian stomach. When they finally opened the door, Alex rolled her eyes. "I hope you two enjoyed yourselves," she said, smirking.

Kara blushed, embarrassed at being called out by her sister. Cat had no such concerns. "Thoroughly," the woman responded, with a smirk of her own. She shoved Kara down on the couch, a maneuver that Kara obviously allowed, and sat down on the Kryptonian's lap, knees on either side of Kara's legs. Lowering her head to meet the hero's, she placed a devastating kiss on Kara's lips. "I'm going to make you some breakfast," she murmured, "and then I want you again."

Eyes filled with desire, Kara nodded and smiled. Cat stood up and went into the kitchen to cook some pancakes.

"Damn, my little sister is having sex," Alex muttered. "I don't know how I feel about this." She looked at Kara curiously. "But you owe me some details, Kara. So, how was it?"

Kara sighed, eyes dreamy. "Alex, it was so wonderful. The most amazing thing I've ever experienced." She shook her head. "Cat is really, really good at this. I'm just trying to keep up."

Cat popped her head out of the kitchen. "Kara, you're a natural." She grinned at Alex, and then disappeared to finish cooking.

"Okay," said Alex weakly. "I've changed my mind. I no longer want details." The thought of her little sister being good at this kind of thing was a little unnerving.

Cat made pancakes for everyone, even Astra (who had been on the balcony). She piled them high in the middle of the table, and watched with amusement as Kara and Astra devoured the stack. She was about to make some more batter when Kara and Astra finally declared themselves full. Shaking her head, Cat sat down to eat a few of the remaining pancakes.

When breakfast was over, Alex announced that she and Astra were going to spend the day at her place. She wanted to give Cat and Kara some time alone, and she was looking forward to spending the day with Astra. When they had left, Cat looked at Kara and grinned. "I think I need a shower. Would you like to come?"

Cat laughed as Kara went by her in a blur, and found the hero already waiting for her in the bathroom. She smiled at the Kryptonian, and murmured, "Do you know how sexy it is when you use your powers?"

Kara spent the next several hours utilizing her powers to bring Cat unparalleled levels of enjoyment.

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The next day was Monday, so Cat and Kara began their day at CatCo. Cat was in such a good mood that several employees swore they heard her singing, and rumors began to swirl that Cat was planning a mass firing. Kara did what she could to calm the fears of her coworkers, but no one knew quite how to handle this version of Cat Grant.

Kara spent most of her morning performing her duties as an assistant, but she reserved the afternoon for research on her article about National City University. She ordered a couple of pizzas, and brought them up to Lucy's office, where the lawyer had agreed to update her over lunch.

Lucy smiled widely when she spotted Kara, and got up to hug the superhero. Kara put the pizzas on Lucy's desk and returned the embrace. "Kara, how are you?" Lucy asked. "I feel like I never see you anymore."

"You mean, except when I ask for your help?" Kara said, smiling ruefully. "Lucy, I'm great. Really, really great. How are you?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at Kara's enthusiasm. "And what makes you 'really, really great' on a Monday?"

"Cat's letting me work on an article by myself. And things are just going so well between the two of us." Kara sighed, a faraway look on her face.

Lucy surveyed her closely for another moment, then grinned. "Sex sure looks good on you."

"Lucy!" exclaimed Kara, mortified.

"Oh, come on, Kara. Don't bother denying it; it's written all over your face. I am so incredibly jealous right now. If only the rest of us could be so lucky."

"Wait a minute. What about James?"

Lucy sighed. "Kara, we broke up." When Kara's mouth fell open, she continued, "We haven't really told anyone yet, but it just wasn't working. James wasn't in love with me anymore."

"Oh, Lucy," Kara said sadly. "I'm so sorry!"

"Nah," Lucy responded, shaking her head. "We both knew it wasn't working anymore. I'll get over it." She smiled at Kara. "Now tell me what's going on with Cat. All the details."

Kara blushed, and then sighed happily. "Lucy, I never knew it could be like this. Like every touch was an expression of love. It felt so amazing."

Lucy grinned. "Is Cat Grant as good in the bedroom as she is in the boardroom?"

"Better," stated Kara definitively. "Definitely better."

"Wow."

They spent the next hour eating pizza and talking about Brittany. Lucy had gotten her admitted to a psychiatric facility, where she was working through the anger and isolation she'd felt after being raped. The police had indicated that if she successfully completed the program, the charges would be dropped. They were far more concerned with the school's actions leading up to this.

Lucy, in coordination with the counselors on staff, had set up a hotline where students could report their own experiences with sexual assault and the school's responses, and they had already received several of calls. A pattern was beginning to emerge, of women being advised not to report these crimes to the police, and the thought of that made Kara feel sick to her stomach. How many of these crimes could have been avoided if the school had acted appropriately?

"Lucy, why is the school so determined not to report these assaults?" Kara asked.

"Think about it, Kara. If you were debating between a few schools, and then you found out there had been four rapes on one campus last year, wouldn't that affect your decision?"

Kara sighed. "So it's all about their reputation." She nodded firmly. "Fine, then. They're going to get quite a reputation. Let's get going on this article."

They agreed that all of the victims would remain anonymous, and that Kara would need to interview members of the administration as well to hear their point of view. Lucy would arrange interviews with any of the willing victims, and Kara would make some calls to the school. With a firm plan in mind, they got to work.

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Dinner that night included Carter, for the first time in a while. He'd been away for the weekend, returning late Sunday night, and Cat was thrilled to be able to spend some time with him. When they returned to her house, Cat had wrapped Carter in an embarrassingly large hug, eventually releasing him as he began to protest that he wasn't a little kid anymore. Cat noticed that he still offered hugs to Kara and Alex as well. He looked at Astra, wondering who she was, until Alex said, "Carter, this is Kara's Aunt Astra."

He looked at Alex in confusion for a moment. "Don't you mean she's your aunt?" Then something clicked in his head, and his eyes widened. "From Krypton?"

Alex smiled. "Yes, Carter."

"Wow," he whispered.

"Until recently, I didn't know she was alive," explained Kara. "And then I thought she was working against me, but she ended up saving all of us." She smiled at Astra, who gazed at her fondly. "Astra, Carter is really into science. I bet he could learn a lot from you."

"You're a scientist?" Carter asked eagerly.

"No," Astra said, "but I have always loved science."

"Krypton was really advanced in science," Kara said. "She knows a lot of things that we don't."

"That's so cool!" Carter exclaimed. Cat grinned. Her son now had all the entertainment he needed for the evening.

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Carter, Astra, and Alex went off to Carter's room to talk about his upcoming science fair and his plans for future research, leaving Cat and Kara alone. "God, the things I want to do to you," Cat whispered. "Later."

Kara moaned. "Rao, now I can't think about anything but that." She sighed, and curled into Cat on the couch. "We need to talk about something else, and distract me."

"Tell me about your research today," Cat offered.

Instantly, Kara perked up. She talked about her discussion with Lucy, as well as the conversations she'd had with school officials. By the end of the day, Lucy had identified six victims who were willing to be interviewed for the story, and the evidence was mounting. Kara shook her head. "This school is going to look really, really bad, and I think they know it. They are already starting to backtrack and make policy changes."

Cat nodded. "Well, at least they will have to work harder to prevent these issues in the future. And maybe the women will get some justice after all."

"The police are looking into the allegations. The fraternity that Brittany threatened appears to have been the site of several rapes. There's certainly a possibility of criminal charges."

"See?" Cat offered, smiling. "Look at all the good you did, both as Supergirl and as Kara. These changes are happening because of you. Who knows whether anyone would have listened to Brittany if you weren't there."

"I had an excellent mentor," Kara said, smiling warmly at Cat. The two women pulled each other close and shared a long, gentle kiss.

Carter, Alex, and Astra walked back into the living room to see the two women kissing. "Ewww," Carter said emphatically, although he smiled happily at the sight. "Get a room!"

"We did," Cat pointed out. "And then you all came into it."

"Well," Carter responded. "I'm going to bed."

"Me too," said Kara in relief. She couldn't stop thinking about what she would do to Cat once the door closed.

Alex grinned and shook her head. "Good night, everyone."


	32. Chapter 32

As Kara continued to research her story, Cat was busy dealing with the incompetence of some members of her staff. She was proofreading a feature on National City University's basketball team… at least, she had been, until she'd become so disgusted by the writer's sloppiness that she tossed his article into the shredder. Now she paced the office, muttering unhappily to herself, as she tried to decide whether to fire the writer now or make him rewrite the article first.

She had just decided on the latter option when she saw Alex step off the elevator. Bypassing Kara's empty desk, Alex made her way straight toward Cat's office. She paused in the doorway, and said, "Cat, I need to talk to you about something."

Cat nodded, and motioned her inside. "What's going on, Alex?" she asked.

"Cat, I've been doing some research that I want you to see. I probably should have told you from the beginning, but I wanted to be sure before I said anything."

Cat looked at her with curiosity. "What kind of research?"

"I've been looking into that renovation company that you were thinking about hiring," Alex said. It was Todd's company, of course, but those words remained unspoken. Cat stiffened slightly at the knowledge that Alex had been looking into Todd on her behalf. She appreciated the gesture, but hated that anyone knew how much he had affected her.

Alex could see Cat closing herself off, and she knew she had to keep talking. She put a folder on the desk. "His company has been making monthly payments to an entity called National Security Systems. I understand why they would hire a security firm; the problem is that this entity doesn't actually exist." She flipped through a number of pages, showing Cat the highlighted payments. "There is no record of such a company filing any tax forms or hiring any employees."

"Someone is stealing money from this company, and funneling it through a nonexistent security firm," Cat summarized.

Alex nodded. "Exactly. But I need Winn's help to follow the money. It links to offshore accounts, and I can't follow it past that."

"Let's bring him in here and get him started."

"Before you do that," Alex began, wanting to pass on the rest of her information, "I need to tell you something else. This wasn't the original focus of my research; discovering this nonexistent firm was just an added bonus. I'm pretty familiar with the security firms in the area, so when I spotted that name, I looked into it."

Cat raised an eyebrow. "What were you originally looking for?"

"This," Alex said, pointing to another stack of papers. "The company has gone through an unusually large number of female employees over the last twelve years, which – perhaps not so coincidentally – is the amount of time that Todd's been working in a supervisory role. The odd thing is that several of these women received rather large deposits in their bank accounts from Todd White."

"You think he's paying them off."

Alex nodded. "I think he took advantage of some of the female employees, and he's paying off the ones who were smart enough to obtain some proof. And I think he started running low on cash, so he invented this security firm to fund his habits."

"That bastard," Cat said with venom. "He's been doing this all along."

"I know it's too late to make him pay for what he did to you," Alex said softly, "but you can still get justice for all of these women."

Cat nodded thoughtfully. "Alex," she said quietly, "thank you."

"OF course, Cat. I'll work with you on this, if you want. Let's get this bastard."

Cat smiled warmly at the woman she'd already come to think of as a sister. Then she yelled, "Witt!" She saw Winn get up quickly and make his way to her office. He glanced at Alex in surprise, and then turned his gaze to her with a mixture of fear and curiosity. Alex grinned, and Cat bit her lip to hold back a smile. The poor man still thought she was terrifying. "Will," she snapped, "I need you to follow a money trail for me."

"What– What kind of money trail, Ms. Grant?" Winn stammered.

Alex explained, "There's a nonexistent company receiving monthly payments. We want to know who's actually getting the money." She handed him a flash drive. "Here's what I have so far. But you're much better at this than I am."

"I'll see what I can do,"he said, nodding. Cat nodded and waved him away.

Alex grinned. "You know, you could use his real name every once in a while. He'll still be terrified of you."

Cat laughed. "I have an image to maintain." She beckoned Alex over to the couch. "Do you have some time right now? We could work on this together."

"I'm off this afternoon," Alex responded. "Let's do it."

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An hour later, Winn brought a stack of papers to Cat's office. She motioned him in, and he stood there awkwardly until she raised an eyebrow and said, "Well?"

He gestured toward the stack of papers. "So I traced the money. It linked through several offshore accounts, and it took me a while to… well, you probably don't want to know how I did that. But it eventually leads back to an account owned by Todd White. "

Alex smiled. "Thanks for the help, Winn," she said. "Is there any way we can use this as evidence?"

"Probably not," Winn admitted. "You won't want to explain how I followed the money. But I don't think you need it. He wasn't very good at hiding the payments. Look at the amounts that were deposited in his account." He handed the papers to Alex.

She raised an eyebrow. "It's identical to the monthly payments from his company. That wasn't very smart of him. I'd love to hear his explanation for that."

Winn nodded. "That should be enough to link him to the money."

"You're the best, Winn," Alex said, smiling.

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By mid-afternoon, Cat and Alex had identified a list of women that they wanted to contact. Some were the ones who had received large sums of money, but others had left the company suddenly and quietly. They decided to start by asking those women why they had left the company, and see whether any of them would hint at impropriety. They split up the list and began making phone calls. As they were working, Kara came back to her desk, and raced in to give Alex a hug. When she found out what they were doing, she insisted on helping with the calls.

The three of them worked steadily for the rest of the afternoon. Some of the women had moved to other cities or quit to pursue another opportunity. There were, however, a number of women who were willing to talk about unwanted advances. A few of them readily admitted that they had been pressured into sex, and seemed pleased to learn that Cat Grant was pursuing this story. By the end of the afternoon, they had a list of women who were willing to help.

Alex looked at Cat. "Are you going to publish this story?"

Cat shook her head. "Not yet. These women don't need to have his crimes printed in the Tribune; they deserve to see him punished for them. They deserve justice. I'm turning this over to the police. We'll follow the story as it develops, and provide coverage of that."

"Yeah," Alex agreed. "That's what I figured. I can call Chief Morrison and set up a meeting."

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Chief Morrison offered to come to CatCo for the meeting, and he arrived an hour later. Alex, who had worked with the police chief on a number of occasions, introduced him to Cat and Kara, and then the women began to summarize their findings.

The police chief shook his head in disgust as they wrapped up their case against Todd. "It will be a pleasure to take this guy down. I'm sure the company will appreciate your help on the financial end as well. But just out of curiosity, how did you know to start looking at this?"

"It was just a guess," Alex admitted. "I had a bad feeling about him, and started doing a little research on his company. Finding the money was a complete accident." She wasn't about to explain what she knew about his history, so that answer would have to suffice.

"Well, the evidence you've compiled should put him away for a long time. We'll get our detectives on this, and once we've verified what you found, we'll arrest him. Thank you for your help." He stood up to shake their hands. Just then, his radio squawked, and he excused himself.

Alex and Cat noticed that Kara tensed as well. "Don't you have that appointment now?" Alex asked Kara, who nodded gratefully and rushed away. Whatever she'd heard on the chief's radio had concerned her enough to act quickly. Cat and Alex glanced up at the monitors to see what had caught her attention, and saw that the monitors contained stock footage of National City High School.

The camera focused on a reporter in the television studio, who began speaking in a grave voice. "We have just received information that National City High School is in lockdown. The police are being summoned to the scene, and we have unconfirmed reports that a shooter is loose somewhere in the building. We are sending a camera crew out there right now, and we will keep you updated as this situation unfolds."

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Kara arrived at National City High School just as the first police cruisers were pulling up to the front of the building. "Is the shooter still in there?" she demanded.

"We don't really know, Supergirl. All we know is that there were reports of gunshots, and that the school is in lockdown."

The superhero scanned the building, and spotted a teenage boy with a gun. To her horror, she watched him pull the trigger several times. She took off toward the building. The front door was locked, so she smashed through the window and flew toward the gunman. She quickly took the gun out of his hands, twisted it, and grabbed the shooter to bring him out to policemen. She looked back inside, ensuring that there were no other dangers, and then nodded to the policemen and said, "All clear."

The hero headed back into the building to survey the damage and see what she could do to help. What she saw, however, was worse than anything she could have students were huddled into corners, or behind doors or desks. Others were crouched over victims, and attempting to administer first aid. There was blood everywhere. Kara's heart sank at the scope of the disaster. For so many students and teachers, she had been too late.

She took a deep breath, and prepared to help as many victims as she could.


	33. Chapter 33

The reporter spoke in a somber voice. "At this point, all we can say for certain is that there was a shooter in National City High School, and that he was disarmed by Supergirl and taken into custody just a moment ago. Once that happened, police officers and other emergency personnel rushed into the building to provide assistance. We have received no information about the number of casualties, or how many shots were fired. Medical personnel are standing by to treat the wounded, but we have yet to see– "

Just then, the reporter paused as Supergirl came out of the building, holding a student in her arms. She brought the victim over to one of the ambulances, and headed back inside. Cameras focused on the swarm of doctors converging on the scene. A moment later, Supergirl returned with another injured person. She repeated these trips for nearly half an hour, bringing dozens of injured people out to receive help. Meanwhile, a few other injured students were led outside by their peers, so that minor wounds could be cleaned and treated.

Staff members guided all of the healthy students toward buses, which would take them to National City's CatCo Arena. Once there, students would be interviewed by police, and then reunited with their families. The school wanted to make sure that they accounted for every student, and that the police obtained all necessary information.

Supergirl did not move the victims who had perished on the scene. Their bodies would be left for policemen and medical professionals to handle. She focused only on people she could help, afraid that once she began to take in the larger picture, she would be overwhelmed by shock and sadness.

Once the building was entirely clear of students and staff, Supergirl sank to the ground at the school's entrance. She had forced herself to focus on one victim at a time, but now that she was finished, she began to process the scope of the tragedy. The amount of devastation was staggering. The shooter had managed to fire over a hundred bullets, killing at least a dozen people and injuring many more. As a superhero, Kara was used to being able to help, but the only thing she could do in this case was to transport the injured students and staff to waiting ambulances. It was disheartening, and she felt emotionally exhausted. She could feel tears running down her cheeks at the thought of so many lost lives. This act was so senseless, and so horrible.

After checking with the police and verifying that there was nothing else she could do, Kara headed back to CatCo. She was too tired to deal with the strain of being Kara Danvers, so she landed on Cat's balcony, still wearing her super-suit. The hero was relieved to see that Carter was already there. Of course Cat had reacted immediately by sending her driver to pick up Carter. She would have wanted to see for herself that her son was okay, even though he'd been at a completely different school.

The moment she landed, she saw three heads spin around, and Alex, Cat, and Carter all rushed outside to greet her. Alex raced forward to hug her, and then stopped when she saw the blood all over the hero's hands and suit. "Kara, where are your clothes? You need to change." Carter went inside to get some washcloths and towels so that Kara could clean up.

"They're in the stairwell, just below the roof," Kara said. "I can–"

"No," responded Alex firmly. "Stay right here." She rushed out to get the outfit herself. Carter returned with water, soap, washcloths, and a towel, and Cat began to wipe her face and hands. The look of exhaustion and sadness on Kara's face made Cat desperate to take care of her.

Kara didn't say a word while Cat cleaned her off. When Alex returned with her clothes, she used her super-speed to instantly remove the suit and put on her blouse and pants. Once she'd changed, she sank heavily onto the couch. Alex and Cat sat on either side of her, while Carter took away the suit and towels. The two women grabbed Kara's hands and squeezed, but the superhero gave no response.

"Kara, do you want to talk about it?" Cat asked softly. Kara was obviously traumatized by what she'd seen in the school, and Cat knew that it wouldn't be healthy for Kara to keep it all inside.

Kara shook her head quickly. She didn't know what she could possibly say. Words would be inadequate to express the horrors that she'd witnessed. She closed her eyes, trying in vain to block the images that dominated her thoughts. Alex and Cat shared a concerned look.

Alex wrapped her arms around Kara and squeezed. "Kara, it's over. I can only imagine how awful it must have been, but you did everything you could to help. You know you can't save everyone, but you saved a lot of people today."

Kara just shook her head and stared off into the appreciated their efforts to reach out to her, but she didn't know how to talk about this. If only Supergirl had moved a little bit faster. If she hadn't paused to watch the shooter for a moment, how many more lives could she have saved? Perhaps she should have been listening more closely to the city. Kara wished she hadn't been so focused on their conversation with the police chief. She knew she could've heard those shots if she'd kept her ears open. Lives had been lost because she'd been focused on her own work.

Seeing Kara's haunted eyes, Cat made a decision. "I'm finished for the day. I think we should go home now."

"That's an excellent idea," Alex agreed. Kara shrugged silently and stood up. Cat collected her things, and they headed downstairs to meet her driver.

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On their way home, Cat ordered pizza. If there was anything that would pull Kara out of this, it was her favorite food. Shortly after they reached Cat's apartment, the doorbell rang, and the deliveryman handed her a large stack of pizza boxes.

Astra's eyes lit up at the sight of one of her new favorite foods, but Kara's face barely registered any recognition. "Little One," Astra said quietly, "are you all right?"

Kara simply shrugged. Alex explained, "There was a shooting today at National City High School. Kara went to help, and apparently the scene was horrific."

Astra's eyes softened in understanding, and she pulled Kara close for a hug. Kara didn't resist, but she barely reacted to the touch. The look of concern on Astra's face mirrored those of Cat and Alex. "My brave little warrior," Astra murmured to Kara, "I am sorry you had to see that. Were there many casualties?"

Kara nodded silently, eyes downcast. Alex added, "So far there have been fifteen confirmed deaths and seventy-two reported injuries."

Kara's face fell further. She hadn't heard the latest numbers. How many of those deaths was she responsible for, by hesitating? Astra could see the turmoil on her face, and did what she could to assuage Kara's guilt. "Little One, you are not responsible for the actions of others. You know that." Kara simply shrugged again, and shivered.

Cat realized that Kara hadn't said a single word since she returned from the school. She'd been silent and withdrawn, lost in her own thoughts. Most likely, she was in shock, a normal reaction to such an intensely traumatic scene. Cat put down the pizzas and grasped Kara's hand, finding it ice-cold. She led Kara to the couch, wrapped a thick blanket around her, and put her arms around the now-shivering hero. They sat in silence for a while.

A few moments later, Alex brought some plates, napkins, and pizza over to the couch. She handed Cat a plate with a slice of Kara's favorite kind. Cat offered the pizza to Kara, who accepted it reluctantly and began to eat. After a couple of bites, however, Kara put down the pizza and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

Alex knew what that look meant, and she grabbed a garbage can and brought it over, just in time. Kara quickly emptied the contents of her stomach while Cat rubbed her back soothingly. "It's okay, Kara. It's over now," she murmured, while Alex brought a damp washcloth over and began to wipe Kara's face.

Finally, the tears came. At first, they ran down her face in a silent stream, but before long she was sobbing into Cat's arms. Alex, Astra, and Carter sat and watched helplessly for a moment, and then Alex led them out of the room to allow Kara some time with Cat.

Finally Kara spoke. "There was so much blood," she whispered. "It was everywhere. Why did he do that? How could anyone do that?" She shivered violently. "So many people were gone, so quickly. Why?"

"I know, Kara," Cat said sadly. "I don't know what the shooter was thinking; we'll probably never know. But I know that a lot more people would have died if you hadn't been there to stop him."

Kara shook her head desperately. "I was too late. I stopped to see what was happening. I watched him– I saw some students get shot. One of them died. If I hadn't–" She sighed, and shook her head again. "Why did I stop? Why didn't I get there sooner?"

"Oh, Kara," Cat said softly, "you can't torture yourself like this. You did everything you could, and you know it. You stopped to see what was happening, which is always the right thing to do before jumping into a situation. But you already know all of that."

Cat paused, and kissed Kara's forehead gently. "You were a hero today, Kara, just like you always are. Don't spend time regretting things you couldn't possibly have known."

Kara sighed, and sank her head onto Cat's shoulder. Cat was relieved to see that Kara wasn't shutting her out anymore, and she pulled the young woman toward her tightly, mixing soft kisses with soothing touches until Kara had relaxed completely into Cat's arms. Before long, Kara's breathing and heart rate had slowed, and Cat realized in surprise that the superhero had fallen asleep in her arms. The emotional toll of this afternoon's events had worn out the younger woman.

Cat held Kara while the hero slept. Alex came back in to check on them, and she smiled at the sight of Kara sleeping in Cat's arms. She told Cat to call if they needed anything, and left the two women alone.

A short while later, Kara's stomach started to growl. Cat smiled. It wouldn't be long now before the Kryptonian woke up, and maybe this time the pizza would seem appealing to her. Sure enough, Kara stirred in her arms just a minute later. "Cat?" she murmured sleepily.

"I'm right here, darling," Cat responded softly. "Are you hungry yet?"

In response, Kara's stomach grumbled loudly. Kara smiled and admitted, "I guess so."

"Good," Cat said, "because I ordered enough pizzas for two Kryptonians and a teenage boy." She kissed Kara again on the forehead. "Are you feeling a little bit better?" she asked tenderly.

Kara nodded. "It was just… It was a lot to take in. I never want to see a scene like that again." She shivered. "Ever."

"I know," said Cat softly. "But just like always, you handled it, and you were amazing." She looked into Kara's eyes. "I was so proud of you." Cat had seen James Olsen's photo, a close-up of the hero's face as she stood at the entrance, tears streaming down her cheeks. That picture would be prominently displayed on the front page of tomorrow's Tribune. She knew that it would remind the city exactly why Supergirl was such a hero – not because she had super-human strength or the ability to fly, but because of her incredible heart.


	34. Chapter 34

Neither woman was looking forward to going to sleep tonight. Kara knew that as soon as she closed her eyes, her mind would return to the horrors she'd seen earlier. Cat, on the other hand, had spent too much of her day thinking about Todd White. Although the work she'd done would ultimately pay off, it had brought back some uncomfortable memories.

After dinner, they hung around in the living room, watching Netflix with Alex, Astra, and Carter. Eventually, Cat went to put Carter to bed, and Astra said good night as well. Alex looked at Kara knowingly. "You don't want to go to sleep, do you?"

Kara shook her head. "I can't handle the images in my head right now."

"You know," Alex said, "Cat is probably worried about sleeping too. She heard a lot about Todd today." She grinned at Kara. "Maybe the two of you could distract each other."

Kara blushed, but then looked at Alex thoughtfully. "That's what she always used to do, when she wanted the nightmares to go away. Find someone to keep her company."

"Well, now she has more than just company," Alex pointed out. "She has someone who loves her very much."

Kara smiled. "Good night Alex," she said warmly, and hurried off to Cat's bedroom to change.

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When Cat entered her bedroom a few minutes later, she was struck speechless by the sight in front of her. Kara was lying there on top of the bed, wearing nothing but a lacy bra and a matching pair of panties. When Cat eventually managed to make her voice work again, she gasped, "Kara…"

"Is this okay?" Kara asked timidly, suddenly worried that she had done something wrong. "I just… well, Alex thought that neither of us would want to sleep tonight, so I thought maybe I could distract you."

Cat laughed, falling even more in love with the gorgeous superhero, who had no idea how beautiful she really was. Kara smiled weakly in response, hoping that Cat's laugh was a good thing. Then Cat stepped forward, crawled onto the bed, and kissed her passionately. "Oh, Kara," she murmured. "It's perfect."

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The next morning, both women felt surprisingly well-rested, despite not actually getting much sleep. They had managed to distract each other for hours, and when they finally fell asleep, they were too exhausted to have nightmares. Kara smiled happily as she woke up to soft lips on her neck. She gathered the older woman in her arms, relishing the press of Cat's naked body against her own, and proceeded to feast upon the soft, warm skin that was presented to her.

After half an hour in bed and a very long, steamy shower, the two women emerged from Cat's bedroom, thoroughly relaxed and ready to start the day. They found Alex already in the kitchen, making coffee. The agent grinned at the looks on their faces, and said, "Did you two sleep at all?"

"A little," Cat said, smiling in return. "How was your night?"

"Kind of lonely," Alex admitted. "I think maybe I should have Astra come and stay at my place. Neither of us feels right… doing anything here. We're guests."

"You know that no one would mind, right?" Cat responded.

"Yeah," Alex said, embarrassed, "It just feels wrong somehow."

Kara was carefully not looking at Alex. She loved the fact that her aunt and Alex were together, but she didn't particularly want to think about either of them… doing anything together. Cat grinned, noticing Kara's discomfort. "You two should definitely spend some time at your place. It would probably make things less awkward for you."

Alex nodded. "I'll ask her about it. Maybe tonight."

Cat nodded. As she began stirring the batter for pancakes, she brought up something that had been on her mind. "While the two of you are here…" Cat paused. "I've been thinking about Astra as a superhero. God knows Kara could use the help sometimes. But Astra needs a nickname, and a costume. My usual brilliance is failing me here."

Alex laughed, amused by Cat's phrasing. But she had been thinking a little bit about this too. "I have an idea," Alex offered. "Astra was Alura's twin, right? So how about Gemini? It would be a way for her to remember Kara's mom, and I'm sure she knows how much that would mean to Kara. And it's kind of a cool superhero name."

Kara's eyes lit up. "Alex, I love it!" Her gaze turned worried."Do you think she would do that, though? She wasn't exactly on the greatest terms with my mom."

"Kara," Alex responded, "I think she recognizes that they both made mistakes, but they loved each other very much, and they both thought of you as a daughter. I think she'll like the idea."

"Like what idea?" asked Astra, entering the kitchen. Alex grinned, and explained the proposal. Astra's eyes widened, and she softly said, "I love it." She began to pace. "I need a costume. I can work on that today at the DEO. They probably have lots of material I can work with."

"Definitely a blue bodysuit," Cat offered. "You'd look amazing in that."

"Oh yeah," Alex said, grinning. "You could do the red cape if you want–"

"No cape," Astra said firmly. "I'm not used to flying in one. It would slow me down."

"You'll need to put up your hair or find another way to hide the white stripe, and maybe you should use a mask to hide your eyes."

Astra nodded. "A wig would be the easiest, I think. Maybe something like Alex's hair. And I'll put a mask just over my eyes."

"I love it," Alex said, smiling broadly. "I'll help you with it."

Cat nodded. "And I'll write the article introducing you. You can proofread it before I publish it."

Kara was grinning happily. Her aunt was going to help with superhero duties. She couldn't imagine anything that would make her happier.

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It was a busy day at work. Cat was beginning to work on her Astra article, so that it would be ready to print when Astra made her next appearance. Meanwhile, Kara was taking periodic breaks from her role as Cat's assistant to finish her article on National City University's role in covering up campus rapes. She hoped to send it to editing by the end of the day.

Neither woman thought much about Todd White or the information they'd given to the police yesterday. They were counting on the detectives to verify their information and arrest the man, who obviously hadn't changed much over the last forty years. So when the elevator doors slid open and Todd himself stepped out onto the floor, Cat was wholly unprepared for the sight.

At that moment, Kara was working in Lucy's office, double-checking the facts for her article, so there was no one to stop Todd before he reached the doorway to Cat's office. He stood in her doorway, glaring, as she slowly rose to her feet and schooled her expression into one of disapproval.

"Mr. White," she said in a bored tone. "I don't believe we had a meeting scheduled. I chose a different company for the renovations."

"Cat," Todd snarled, "you and I both know that this visit isn't about business. You've never forgiven me for walking out on you so many years ago, have you?"

"Walking out on… me?" Cat responded incredulously. "My mother kicked you out! It was one of the few times in her life that she did something right for me."

"Oh, please," he scoffed. "I know you wanted me. You were devastated when I stopped seeing you. And that's why you're bringing these bullshit charges against me." He smirked. "You know these charges won't stick. These women got what they deserved, and they were more than satisfied."

The look of disgust on Cat's face had overtaken any attempt to hide her emotions. Before she could speak, however, a voice interrupted them.

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Kara had been in Lucy's office when she heard Cat say, "Mr. White." Instantly she stiffened and whirled around, staring through the walls to verify that Todd was, in fact, in Cat's office.

"Lucy–" she began.

"Go," Lucy said firmly. Whatever Kara was seeing, it had distressed her greatly. Kara nodded gratefully and raced down the hall, using just a touch of super-speed to reach Cat's office even more quickly.

Once there, she spoke from behind Todd's back. "You are the lowest form of slime, and I hope you rot in prison."

He whirled around to face her, and Kara took that moment to step into the office, walk around Cat's desk, and stand next to the woman. She folded her arms in a stance that was a hundred percent Supergirl.

Todd looked at her in amusement. "Sweetie, are you jealous? Because you and I could have a good time together too. Just ask Cat how great I am."

"Oh, I know all about you, Todd," she said, spitting out his name in disgust. "I spoke to some of those women yesterday. I heard all about how you forced yourself on them, and how so many of them quit rather than work with you."

"Honey, I think you have this all wrong. I didn't have to force myself on anyone. Women throw themselves at me."

"Keep dreaming, Todd," Cat snarled. "Now, I think we're finished here." She picked up the phone to dial security.

"Oh, I'm not quite done yet," Todd said, shaking his head in amusement, as he stepped forward and pressed his finger over the phone cradle to hang up the call.

Kara snapped. "You heard her. Get out of Cat's office, before I drag you out myself."

Todd laughed, and his grin got even wider when he saw Cat place her hand on Kara's arm in a calming gesture. "Well, well, well. You're fucking the boss, aren't you? Oh, honey, you can do so much better than the ice queen here. A pretty young girl like you? Let me help you out."

Kara would not tolerate him speaking that way about Cat. She didn't even care who heard her say it. She and Cat had reported their relationship to HR, but they hadn't announced it to anyone else. Well, that was about to change. "You have no idea who Cat really is, and you never will," she said confidently. "I love her with all my heart." She stepped forward, glaring at Todd. "You don't get to speak about Cat like that. She is the most amazing person I've ever met, and I am so lucky that she has chosen to be with me."

Todd snorted. "Oh, please. She'll hurt you, just like she hurts everyone." He took a couple of steps back, and pulled the gun out of his jacket pocket. "Fine, then. If I'm going to prison anyway, I might as well enjoy the ride." As he aimed the gun at Cat and began to pull the trigger, he was shocked to see Cat's assistant running TOWARD the gun. She slammed into him and sent the gun flying just as it went off.

Kara couldn't think about anything except saving Cat. She forced herself to use only minimal super-speed, just enough to reach Todd before he could squeeze the trigger. She felt the gun going off just after she crashed into him, and saw the bullet fly harmlessly into the air. Kara slammed him into the ground, and punched him once in the head, just hard enough to knock him out. Then she grabbed his arms and dragged him bodily out of Cat's office, depositing him next to the elevator. "Call security," she ordered a speechless Winn, and then ran back in to check on Cat.

As Kara had run toward Todd, Cat had ducked behind her desk to avoid the shot. Kara found her still crouched there, out of sight, and she sank down in relief next to her boss. "Oh, thank Rao," she said softly, and wrapped her arms tightly around Cat, placing kisses on her forehead and cheeks. Taking a shuddering breath, she said, "I can't lose you."

Cat took an unsteady breath of her own. She had been scared, but not for her own safety. She'd been worried that Kara would reveal her identity to the public in her attempts to keep Cat safe. Fortunately, the superhero had acted quickly enough that she could appear human in saving her boss, but Cat had been terrified for a moment. "I knew you would save me, Kara. I'm just so glad you managed to save yourself too."

Kara knew exactly what she was referring to. Cat was worried that she would expose herself. She placed a hand on Cat's chin and brought her face up so that she could look into Cat's eyes. "It's over. We're both safe now." Then she kissed Cat gently on the lips, not caring that people could walk in at any moment, not caring about anything except that Cat was safe. Cat sank into her arms, laying her head on Kara's shoulder. They stayed like that until the police arrived.


	35. Chapter 35

Eventually, Chief Morrison made his way to Cat's office. He found the two women still crouched behind Cat's desk, with Kara's arms wrapped around the older woman and Cat's head resting on Kara's shoulder. He cleared his throat, and Kara looked up at him and smiled. He knew that smile. He couldn't quite place it, but he'd seen it before. Somehow, he had the feeling he'd seen it on someone other than Kara Danvers.

Chief Morrison shook his head to focus himself. "Ladies, I'm going to need to ask you a few questions."

They both nodded. Kara easily lifted Cat into her arms and brought her over to the couch. The chief watched in surprise – Cat certainly wasn't heavy, but the young woman didn't even appear to be exerting herself. Oblivious to his interest, Kara wrapped her arms back around Cat and looked at him expectantly.

Chief Morrison sat down across from them and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. We were going to arrest him, but we wanted to collect the information first. We called some of the women, and somehow, he must've found out." He took out his notepad. "So he just showed up here?"

Kara nodded. Cat began to summarize what had happened, with Kara adding details as she remembered them. When they got to the part about Todd taking out his gun and Kara running toward him, Chief Morrison looked at her in surprise. "You ran toward him? Don't you know how dangerous that was?"

"Well, I– It wasn't like– I mean– He was going to shoot her. What else could I do?" She stared at him, a look of steely determination in her eyes, and then suddenly blushed and glanced downward. "I got there in time," she mumbled uselessly.

Something finally clicked in Chief Morrison's head, and suddenly everything made sense. "I suppose it helps being bulletproof," he offered.

Kara looked up in a panic. "What? I… I don't know what you mean by that."

"It's all right, Ms. Danvers," the chief said, smiling. "Your secret is safe with me. But you have a beautiful smile, and I remember it vividly."

"There is no secret,' Kara protested, flustered. "I'm just Kara. I don't know what you're–"

The chief waved off her denials. "Forget I said anything. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, and I will never mention it again."

Cat smiled at him, and pulled out a card. "Tell you what. If you ever need to reach Supergirl, just call me. I'll know how to get in touch with her."

"I appreciate that," the police chief said, nodding in gratitude. "I think we're done here for now." He stood up and shook each woman's hand. "I am truly sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Kara, but it was nice to talk with you again." He looked at Kara closely. "I'm thinking we should keep your heroics just between us. I wouldn't want people to start speculating."

Kara smiled despite herself. She suspected she could trust this man with her secret, and he really was sweet and thoughtful. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

He nodded. "If either of you needs to reach me, for any reason, here's my private cell." He wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to Cat. Then he smiled at the two women, nodded, and left the office.

They sat back down on the couch. Kara couldn't help putting her arms back around the older woman. "I'm not quite ready to let you go," she admitted softly. Cat smiled and pulled her in for a kiss. "Ms. Grant," Kara murmured, "everyone can see us."

Cat nodded. She would have preferred to find a better way to break the news, but it was too late now. She might as well take advantage of the opportunity. "Let them. They probably heard your declaration of love, and they already saw you try to save me. I think our secret is out." She kissed Kara again. "So let's show them how much I love you."

Kara smiled happily. "I love you too, Cat."

Cat glanced out at the bullpen, which was filled with people staring at her. Kara followed her gaze, and blushed deeply at the sound of a wolf whistle. Cat surveyed the faces of her employees, and was surprised to see that most were smiling at the development. She rolled her eyes, and then yelled, "Get to work, people!" She had an image to maintain, after all. Kara grinned at her and kissed her again, and she quickly forgot about everything else.

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By the time they were ready to quit for the evening, Cat had finished the article she was working on. She'd chosen to temporarily put her Astra article on hold, knowing that she needed to first write about that day's events at CatCo. Kara's article, meanwhile, had been sent off to editing. Now that the two of them no longer had to hide how they felt about each other, they were able to spend the day working side-by-side in Cat's office. They fell into a companionable silence, broken only by Kara's occasional questions or Cat's request for assistance.

Just as they were packing up, Kara's phone rang. "Hey, Alex," she said. "What's going on?" She had talked to Alex earlier, after Todd's surprise appearance, and she knew that her sister was trying to avoid taking her away from CatCo today. "Kara, I just wanted you to know that there's a bank robbery, but Astra volunteered to handle it. I think it would be a good way for her to introduce herself."

"That sounds great, Alex. Let me know if she needs any help."

After hanging up the phone, she briefed Cat on the news, and watched as Cat called reporters to the scene and instructed them to get as many good shots of Astra as they could. "Looks like I'm going to need to stay for a while, and work on that article," Cat murmured.

"Let's do it together," Kara offered.

Cat looked at her skeptically. "Kara, I love you, but I do all my writing on my own. I'm not much of a team player."

Kara laughed. "Don't worry; I wouldn't dream of writing the article for you. I just thought maybe I could type up some notes for you – information about Astra's history, maybe a few quotes from Supergirl about her."

"That's not a bad idea," Cat said thoughtfully.

"Good." Kara grinned. "Because I already did. I'll send it to you."

"What would I do without you?" Cat murmured.

"Oh, you'd be just fine. But I always like helping you, when I can."

"No," Cat responded. "I wouldn't be fine at all." She stared at Kara for a moment. When had this woman become such a vital part of her life? She couldn't even imagine life without Kara anymore.

Kara could see the turmoil on Cat's face, and she knew instantly what had caused it. Cat didn't like to depend on others, and she was clearly uncomfortable with the thought of needing Kara. Kara stepped around the desk and sat down on Cat's lap, not caring that she was in full view of the entire bullpen. She wrapped her arms around Cat and kissed her gently on the mouth, then whispered, "Cat, I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours." She ran her hand down the side of Cat's face. "I need you too, you know, and that terrifies me. But you're not going to lose me, Cat. I could never love anyone else the way I love you."

Cat smiled warmly at the woman who had stolen her heart completely. "You're making me look soft, you know," she said. Kara smiled back, and kissed her again.

Outside Cat's office, people throughout the bullpen were smiling, wide-eyed, at Kara's impromptu display of affection. They knew that this was not just an office fling; it was obvious that these two were completely in love. Kara even brought out Cat's softer side, as evidenced by the fact that Cat actually allowed Kara to sit on her lap. On her lap! Of course, Cat would snap back into her office persona any moment, and they would all be lectured, but it was worth it to see Cat genuinely happy.

"I'm not paying you to stand around and stare. There's work to do here, people!" Cat was standing in her office, glaring at the entire floor, but they could see the smile she was fighting to hide. They turned away and went back to work.

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Astra landed in front of the bank and surveyed the scene with her x-ray vision. The robbers were inside, waiting as tellers loaded sacks full of cash. She had two choices. She could wait until the robbers tried to make their escape, and avoid dealing with bystanders, or she could interrupt the process now, before anyone else got hurt. She decided on the latter option, and headed inside.

She strode confidently inside, and quickly disarmed the man standing guard at the door. Everyone else in the bank turned around and stared, so she decided to give them a show. She bent the man's gun in half and then used her super-speed to appear right in front of the other two gunmen, who were standing next to the tellers.

"Hand over your weapons," she demanded.

"Who the hell are you?" asked one of the robbers, with just a trace of fear in his voice.

"I am a friend of Supergirl." Tired of waiting, she grabbed the gun easily out of his hand, and then spun and knocked over the other gunman. She elbowed the first man in the head, and punched the second, knocking them both out cold.

When she saw the man by the door starting to run, she quickly sped over to corral him, and carried him outside to the policemen who had just arrived. She handed him over, along with the three guns she had collected.

"Thank you, Miss…" the officer said, staring at her in confusion.

"My pleasure," she said, ignoring the question in his eyes. Then she took off, flying away before he could ask any more questions. Astra could have answered those questions, of course, but she wanted to leave the explanations to Cat Grant. She thought the woman deserved to break the news herself, and felt she owed it to Cat to give her the chance to reveal the information. So for now, she would remain a mystery.

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Two hours later, Cat was finally done. She waited as Kara finished reading through the article, and met Kara's smile with her own. "Cat, this is perfect," Kara said, her eyes filled with love. "You're such an amazing writer."

"Do you think it's ready?" Cat asked. The minute the words left her mouth, she cringed. Cat Grant never needed anyone else's approval. Cat didn't doubt herself, ever.

Kara grinned. "Cat, you know it's perfect. Let's go home."


	36. Chapter 36

That evening, Alex was determined to spend time alone with Astra. She dragged the woman to her apartment for dinner, ordering enough Chinese food to easily fill a Kryptonian and an agent. "Why are we eating here tonight?" Astra inquired, as they carried the food into the apartment.

Alex smiled. "I wanted to spend some time alone with you." She hadn't been comfortable making any sort of move while in Cat's home – it felt somehow disrespectful – but she had been dying to explore this chemistry between them. Astra, for her part, seemed content to follow Alex's lead. As a result, there had been a few kisses, a number of longing glances, and not much else. Alex was determined to change that tonight. She stepped toward Astra and took the bags out of the older woman's hands, setting them on the table. Then she put her arms around the Kryptonian, and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Let's eat," she said, smiling.

The two women chatted easily while they ate. Alex talked about growing up with Kara, and watching the Kryptonian try to grasp American customs. She laughed as she remembered how baffled Kara had been by the idea of sarcasm. "She didn't understand why people would say things that obviously weren't true. I made some comment about how I couldn't wait to sit through Ms. Wilson's English lectures, and she was just so confused, especially when my parents laughed. She didn't know why that was funny." Alex shook her head and smiled. "After a while, she started trying to use sarcasm herself, but she was so bad at it! She ended up insulting my mom's cooking."

Astra smiled. She, too, had struggled to understand sarcasm, so she understood her niece's difficulty. "It must have been hard for you, suddenly having to share your home with an alien."

Alex nodded. "I wasn't very mature about it at first. I was embarrassed to suddenly have this weird little girl tagging along, mimicking everything I did. And my parents were so nice to her, and blamed me for everything. I resented her, and I hated that everything came so easily to her – academics, sports, everything except social cues. I had worked so hard to make my parents proud of me, and then she came along, and suddenly everything I had done seemed so… pedestrian."

Alex paused, lost in thought for a moment. Then she continued, "But then one night I heard her crying. My first thought was, 'Good. Let her be unhappy for once.' But I realized how awful that was, and I went to see what was wrong. I found out she'd been trying not to fall asleep, every single night, because she was afraid that somehow she would end up in the Phantom Zone again, alone. So I slept in the bed with her, promising I would wake her up before anything bad happened. And I realized that while my life had changed, that was nothing compared to what she'd experienced. Kara had lost her whole world. None of this was her fault, and it wasn't fair for me to resent her. And over time, I realized I have the greatest sister on any planet."

Astra smiled softly at her. "She is so lucky to have you." She put down her chopsticks, stood up, and walked around the table to stand behind Alex. She wrapped her arms around the agent from behind, and kissed her on the cheek. "Alex… I have only been with one person in my life. On Krypton, we were expected to give ourselves to our partner, and I believe that I performed my duties to his satisfaction. I hope I can do the same for you."

Alex spun around and looked quizzically at Astra. "What about you? Did he perform his… duties… to your satisfaction?"

Astra didn't quite meet her eyes. "It is not the same for me. I do not experience sexual interactions as pleasurable."

Alex gaped at her. "You mean you've never… Not once?"

Astra shook her head. "I have never been satisfied by sex. Fortunately, my husband was always finished quickly."

Alex stood up suddenly. "Wow…" she said slowly. "No. Obviously, your husband had no idea how to satisfy a woman." She stared at Astra searchingly. "I know that you've felt things with me. Remember that day in the water, when I touched you? I know you felt that."

"That is true," Astra acknowledged, "but the act of sex is different. It is not romantic to me."

"Only because your husband wasn't doing it right!" Alex exclaimed. She forced herself to calm down. "All right. We're going to try something. Are you willing to experiment with me?"

Astra nodded. "I am yours, Alex."

"Okay, then, what I want is for you to only do things that feel good to you. I don't want you to focus on me at all. This is going to be about you. We are going to figure out what makes you happy. Will you please do that for me?"

Astra looked at her uncertainly. "I do not know if that will work."

"Well," Alex responded, "we're going try. Now come with me." She led Astra into her bedroom, and sat with her on the bed. "Let's start with kissing. You like kissing, right?"

"I like kissing you," Astra acknowledged.

"Good," said Alex, smiling. She put her hands on either side of Astra's face, and kissed her gently. Sliding one hand backward, she cupped the back of Astra's neck, and pulled her in close. She covered Astra's face – lips, cheeks, nose, neck, ears – with kisses, each one gentler than the last. She pushed Astra down onto the bed, and climbed on top of her, continuing to place kisses all around Astra's neck.

Pausing for a moment, she murmured, "Does that feel good to you, Astra?"

"Oh yes," Astra breathed. "It is very soothing."

"Good. Then let's try something a little less soothing," Alex said. She ran her tongue along Astra's neck, grazing her teeth lightly over the skin and following it up with kisses. She worked her way up to Astra's ear, and paused to blow softly on the ear, then sucked lightly on the earlobe. She felt Astra's sharp inhalation at the sensation, and knew that the woman was experiencing arousal for perhaps the first time in her life. But Alex wasn't going to stop now. She worked her way back to Astra's mouth, and deepened the kiss, running her tongue over Astra's closed lips until she felt them start to part. She flicked her tongue lightly over teeth, pressed it against Astra's own tongue, and finally slipped it into Astra's mouth and kissed her hungrily.

"Alex," gasped Astra when she finally broke the kiss. "I have never felt anything like this."

"Oh, Astra," said Alex, smiling, "I haven't even started touching you yet." She slipped her hands onto Astra's stomach and slid them upward, running them over Astra's chest, and feeling the woman's involuntary shudder at her light touch. "Is it okay if I take your shirt off? I want to taste your skin."

Astra nodded eagerly, eyes closed as she experienced these new sensations, and Alex carefully slipped the shirt over her head. She lowered her mouth to kiss Astra's collarbones, and dragged her mouth downward to kiss the edges of Astra's breasts, still covered by a bra. Through the bra, she began stroking and kissing those beautiful breasts, exploring them thoroughly until Astra finally begged, "Take it off, please." Alex smiled, unclasped the bra, and began to repeat her motions over bare skin. When she finally flicked her tongue over a sensitive nipple, Astra moaned with pleasure.

"This, Astra, is what sex should feel like." Alex took a nipple into her mouth, and sucked on it gently before running her tongue along the edges of it. "And I'm going to make sure that you experience everything – so that you feel how amazing it can be." She switched to the other nipple, sucking and licking it until it had hardened and Astra was writhing desperately underneath her.

"I want to feel you too," Astra murmured, and reached to unbutton Alex's shirt. Alex smiled and helped her take the shirt off, and then the bra. Soon, the women were kissing desperately, pulling each other closer and enjoying the closeness of skin against skin. Astra explored Alex's breasts, learning quickly what kinds of touches made Alex gasp and moan with pleasure, and Alex slotted a leg in between Astra's thighs to provide a little bit of pressure.

"Are you ready to try something more?" Alex asked softly, sliding her hands down to Astra's waist.

Astra nodded. "This feels like nothing I have ever experienced."

Alex smiled, and began to slide her hands over Astra's thighs, pushing them slightly apart as she ran her fingers up the insides of those thighs. She could feel the heat and moisture before she even made contact with Astra's center, but she cupped the sensitive area with her hand, running a finger across the length of her slit as Astra cried out with desire. "I want to really touch you," she murmured, and Astra smiled and lifted her hips so that Alex could easily remove her pants and underwear. Alex sat up and moved backward to pull them off of Astra's long legs, and then began to slowly kiss her way from Astra's toes to her ankles, calves, knees, and finally the insides of her thighs. She gently guided Astra's legs apart, pushing her knees upward and spreading her thighs to give her better access.

Alex lifted her head to look into Astra's eyes as she ran one finger lightly across Astra's center. She felt the woman gasp with delight at the touch, but she made herself pause for a moment. She brought her finger up to her mouth and sucked it clean as Astra stared hungrily. "Alex," Astra whispered, "please. I have never felt like this before. I need…" she trailed off, not knowing what exactly she wanted, but confident that Alex would know exactly what that was. When she felt Alex blowing lightly on her clit, she moaned, and then surged her hips forward as Alex sank her tongue gently into the folds. Alex continued her light, teasing touches as Astra desperately bucked her hips toward Alex's mouth. Eventually, Alex relented, and began to flick her tongue confidently over the pink flesh. Astra felt her body building toward something, and with a cry, she felt her body shaking and spasming as torrents of pleasure ran through her. As she slowly regained feeling in her limbs, she realized that Alex was continuing to stimulate her sensitive areas while easing one finger into her opening. She gasped at the sensation of being filled, and moaned as Alex lifted the finger out, and then slipped two fingers in on the second pass. The gentle in-and-out motion was enough to start her hips bucking again, and Alex continued to suck hungrily on her clit while she sped up the motions of her fingers. Eventually, she began to slam them in deeply as she pulled her body up to cover Astra's, kissing her passionately as she worked her talented fingers on Astra's center. Astra could taste herself on Alex's tongue and lips, but she let the woman take charge of the kiss, dominating her with tongue and fingers. Alex slammed her hand into Astra forcefully and moved her hips in time with the motion, fucking Astra with every part of her body as the woman gasped. Before long, Astra felt herself trembling and rising again, and when she climaxed again, she saw bright lights exploding in her vision as the sensations overtook her and she lost consciousness.

A short while later, Astra opened her eyes to see Alex lying next to her, a contented look on her face. "Now do you see what you've been missing?" Alex inquired, smiling.

"Rao, Alex," Astra murmured. "I had no idea it could feel that way."

Alex sighed happily. "You just haven't been with the right person."

"But…" Astra started. "I would like to… Will you teach me to bring you pleasure?"

Alex ran a hand softly down Astra's face. "Of course."

"Good," Astra said, suddenly flipping them over so that she was on top of Alex. "Because I think it is your turn." She smiled, and proceeded to show Alex what a quick learner she could be.


	37. Chapter 37

The next morning, Cat's article about Astra ran on the front page. Gemini had elevated sales of the Tribune to near-record levels, topped only by the story of Cat's first interview with Supergirl. National City readers were fascinated by this new mystery woman, and Cat's revelation that Gemini was somehow connected to Supergirl made the article even more intriguing.

Supergirl's quotes lent credence to Gemini's talents, and they also proved that Cat had connections with all of National City's superheroes. The hero explained that it was Gemini's help that had allowed them to defeat Myriad. She also admitted that Gemini had been a major influence on her when the hero was growing up on Krypton, teaching her about honor and trust. It was clear that Supergirl cared greatly for the new superhero, although there was no indication of exactly what their relationship was. Media pundits were speculating that perhaps this was another cousin, or maybe they were simply friends. Either way, National City was eager to see them in action together.

They didn't have to wait long for the opportunity. Shortly after 10 a.m., Alex called Kara.

"Supergirl, a navy vessel about a hundred miles offshore is sinking. Somehow, the captain managed to steer it right into an oil rig and gouge a hole in the hull. Rescue boats can't get there in time. Do you think you and Astra could carry the ship back into the harbor?"

Kara grinned. "Sounds like fun." She stepped into Cat's office and let her know that she should station a camera crew in the harbor, and then headed out.

She met Astra above the ship. "Let's go talk with the captain first, and tell him to get everything secured. Then you take the front, and I'll grab the back. We'll try to stay as level as we can." Astra nodded in agreement, and the two of them landed on the deck. Kara explained the plan, and the crew got to work tying everything down, with the help of the two superheroes.

Once they were ready, Astra and Kara dove underneath the water to hoist the ship from underneath, and they slowly lifted the ship until they were balancing it about ten feet above the surface of the water. At Kara's jerk of the head, they started to move forward, and quickly traversed the hundred miles to shore. Once they reached the harbor, the two heroes could see men preparing to secure the sinking vessel, and headed in that direction. The naval officers indicated where to place the vessel so that they could secure it on stilts, and Astra and Kara set the boat down. They landed on the dock, shook hands with the workers, and prepared to leave. Suddenly, Kara turned around and grabbed Astra in a hug. "It's really great to work with you," she said, smiling.

Astra smiled in return. "I love you, Little One."

Kara took off and headed back to CatCo. When she stepped onto the thirty-eighth floor, Cat was waiting in her office. The mogul smiled and beckoned Kara in; then she wrinkled her nose. "You need a shower."

Kara smiled sheepishly. "I know, I smell like the ocean. I guess I'd better go wash the salt off. I'll be back soon."

Cat shook her head. "Use my shower here. It'll be faster." She gestured toward her private bathroom.

Kara smiled gratefully, and went to rinse off the salt and grime. When she emerged a few minutes later, Cat nodded and said, "Much better. By the way, your article is ready to print tomorrow. Front page."

Kara's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Of course, Kara. It's a fantastic article. I'm so proud of you," Cat admitted, smiling.

Just then, Cat's cell phone rang. She looked at it and paled. "My mother," she said, sighing. Kara tensed. She still remembered Cat's last interaction with her mother, when the woman had basically refused to admit that Todd had molested her daughter. Kara was not leaving Cat to deal with this woman alone.

Cat answered her phone in a tired voice by saying, "Hello mother." After a pause, she said, "Ten minutes?" The look of panic on her face made it clear what was happening, so Kara scurried around to clean her office before Cat's mother could arrive. Cat hung up the phone looking shell-shocked. "She's coming here," Cat said needlessly. "In ten minutes." She stood there staring at her phone, as if waiting for it to tell her what to do.

"Sit down," Kara said firmly, and led Cat behind her desk. "I'll be right here with you. If she even starts to say something insulting, I'll drag her out of here by her hair."

"No, Kara," Cat said sadly, "I don't need you to fight my battles for me. I'll handle my mother."

"Cat," Kara said urgently, "Your battles ARE my battles." She tilted Cat's head up so that she could look into her girlfriend's eyes. "You are everything to me. You and Carter. Don't you know that yet?" She kissed Cat gently on the lips, and then stepped away.

Cat caught her arm as she began to walk back around the desk. Kara paused, looking at Cat questioningly, and the older woman laced their fingers together and grasped her hand firmly. They stood, holding hands tightly, as Katherine Grant emerged from the elevator.

As Katherine approached the office, Cat made no move to release Kara's hand, so Kara stood firmly by her side. Katherine stepped into the doorway and eyed the two of them with disgust. "Really, Kitty? Sleeping with your secretary? I knew you had low standards, but I thought you could at least avoid the cliché."

Kara tensed but kept silent. Cat, however, was not as charitable. "For your information, mother, Kara is more than just my assistant. I couldn't run CatCo without her. She is smart and talented, and a much better woman than I will ever be."

"You must be really good in bed," Katherine said to Kara, "or she wouldn't bother saying those things. You poor thing… so young… You probably think that the two of you are actually in love. She's doesn't love you, you know. She'll drop you as soon as she's ready to move on to her next conquest."

"How dare you talk about her like that!" Kara said angrily. She would tolerate the woman insulting her, but she would not hear Cat disparaged in her presence. "Cat Grant is the most brilliant, principled, and kind woman that I've ever met. She changes the world every single day, and I am lucky to be a part of her life. You're right; I do love her. I would marry her today if she asked me. But if she ends up breaking up with me, that's okay, because I still had a chance to be with the person I love. And that's more than many people ever have."

Cat was staring silently at her, eyes wide. Kara suddenly realized she had said far too much. She blushed and gazed at the ground. Katherine, for the moment, was struck speechless.

After a few awkward seconds, Kara heard Cat ask softly, "You would really marry me?"

Kara laughed. "Of course I would, Cat. How could you possibly doubt that? I love you," she said simply, her eyes communicating the truth of those words.

Cat forgot her mother was even in the room. She forgot everything except for the deep, deep blue of Kara's eyes, and the beautiful smile gracing her lover's face. She stepped toward Kara and kissed her on the lips, wrapping her arms around the woman and pulling them close together.

For a moment, Katherine Grant stared in horror at the two women. Then she spun around and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her on her way out.

When Katherine had left the floor, Cat began to laugh. "Kara, that was the most pleasant visit I've ever had with my mother. If I had known that was all it would take to make her leave, I'd have kissed you years ago."

Kara grinned and said, "I'm always here to help." Just then, Kara's phone rang again. "Alex? What's up?"

"We need you again, Supergirl," Alex responded. "A whole band of aliens. We're headed there now, but I think we could use all the manpower we can get." She fired off the address.

"Be there as soon as I can."

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Kara landed and wrinkled her nose. Alex hadn't mentioned that these aliens would be quite so… smelly. They were covered in slimy brown goo – or was that some sort of skin? She didn't think she really wanted to know, but she suspected she wouldn't have much of a choice. "Supergirl," Alex said from behind her, "these little guys are slippery. Whenever we try to corral them, they just slither right out of our grasp. We're just trying to get them into containment units. But be careful. They emit really strong electrical charges, like a group of slimy Livewires. Don't touch them without these rubber gloves." She handed a pair to Kara.

Astra looked at the two of them. "I have an idea." She looked at Alex. "Line up the containment units side-by-side, over there." She pointed to a spot on one side of the creatures. "Supergirl and I will blow them in. Like Little Red Riding Hood, right?"

Alex laughed. "I think you have your nursery rhyme characters confused." But she directed the agents to line up the containment units.

Astra said, "You stand in that corner, and I'll stand in this one. We'll blow diagonally, so they're pushed toward the middle. We'll start slowly, and increase it as much as we need." Kara nodded.

They took their positions, and began to blow softly, increasing the speed until the creatures began to slide across the ground. After a few seconds, they had all been pushed into the containment units. "Nicely done," said Alex, grinning widely. "I guess we could've just brought in some really strong fans, but I didn't think of that."

Kara laughed. "These jobs are getting stranger all the time. Why are these things here, anyway?"

Alex shrugged. "We don't really know. They just appeared out of nowhere. We're pretty sure they're not trying to hurt anyone, but we need to get them away from where people might accidentally run into them."

Kara shivered. She could just imagine the reactions of unsuspecting citizens, if they encountered these giant slug-like creatures. To be honest, she was just glad she hadn't had to touch them. She gave them one last uneasy glance, and then waved to Alex and Astra and took off.

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Cat had been pacing her office since Kara left. She knew the superhero was fine; she wasn't the least bit worried about that. Her reason for pacing had to do with Kara's admission that she would marry Cat today, if the woman asked her. Cat couldn't let Kara do that. Could she?

Cat wanted nothing more than to spend her whole life with Kara. She could only imagine how wonderful it would be to wake up next to Kara every morning for the rest of her life. But she also knew that she wasn't a good bet; after all, her marriages had never worked out well for either partner. And she was so much older! How would the younger woman feel when she reached the age of forty, and Cat was already in her sixties? No, this simply wasn't going to work. Cat would have to make it clear that they had no long-term future together. Or did they?

She sank down into a chair, trying to ignore her overwhelming sense of despair. She didn't know what to do. And Cat Grant ALWAYS knew what to do.


	38. Chapter 38

Kara called Cat to let her know that she was headed to the DEO to help their newest visitors get settled in, and would meet Cat at her apartment a little bit later. Cat headed home alone, picking up Carter along the way. "Where's Kara?" was the first thing Carter said when he got into the car.

"She's dealing with some aliens," Cat said, trying to ignore the unsettled feeling in her own stomach. Kara wanted to marry her. This wasn't going to work. Was it?

Carter saw the flash of uncertainty on his mother's face. "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Why do you think something is wrong?" Cat responded vaguely.

Carter just looked at her, eyebrow raised. "Did you have a fight with Kara?"

"No, Carter," Cat responded, sighing. They hadn't fought. She had simply realized that their relationship was doomed to fail, something that should have been clear to her weeks ago. She'd just been so blinded by Kara's sweetness, and by her own love. She knew this was wrong. She knew it wasn't going to work. The only question was whether she could do the right thing, now that it was clear what that meant.

"Good," responded Carter forcefully. "Because I don't want you to screw this up, mom. She's so perfect for you."

Cat sighed again, and shook her head. "Carter, it's not that easy."

"Oh no," Carter said sadly. "You ARE going to screw this up. What is it, mom? Is it the age difference?"

"Twenty-five years is a long time, Carter. What is Kara going to see in me when I'm sixty-five, and she's forty? I may look good for my age, but diet and exercise have their limits."

Carter shook his head in exasperation. "Do you really think Kara cares about any of that? Mom, she loves you. She loves everything about you, not just the way you look. The kind of love you two have… that doesn't just fade with time. You know that. Deep down, you know I'm right."

"Of course Kara doesn't care about any of that. She's too young, and too naïve, to even think about it. But when she does…" Cat shook her head. "I need to do the right thing for her."

"Mom," Carter said urgently, "how is making Kara's decisions for her doing the right thing? How can you think you know better what she needs than she does? How about asking her what she wants?"

"Carter, I know what she thinks she wants," Cat said wearily. "She said today that she'd marry me. I can't do that to her."

"She did?" Carter's face lit up in delight.

Cat suddenly looked at her son. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't even registered his emotions. But seeing the look of delight on his face, she smiled suddenly. "She said it to my mother, actually. She said she was in love with me, and would marry me today if I asked."

Carter laughed. "I bet your mother loved that. How did she respond?"

Cat smiled back. "She didn't say anything. I kissed Kara, and my mother slammed the door and left. It was amazing." The two of them shared a smile for a moment, and then Cat sighed. "But Carter, you know this can't work. She deserves so much better than an old, jaded, frigid woman."

"You know what I think, mom? I think after everything Kara's done for this city, and this planet, she deserves the chance at happiness. And I think you deserve it too, for all the same reasons." Carter looked at his mother urgently. "Mom, the two of you make each other so happy, and I think you should focus on that, because that's what's really important. I think it's time for you to ask her to marry you. You have to trust her enough to let her make her own decisions."

Cat stared at her son. At first, she tried to think of the words that would show him just how wrong he was. And then, she started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he wasn't wrong after all. She owed it to Kara, and to herself, to try her hardest to make this relationship work. Kara deserved her trust, and her love, and everything else that she could possibly give. And right now, what Kara wanted was Cat, and maybe that was enough. She would have to do her best to be deserving of such an amazing woman.

Carter could see by the look on Cat's face that she was relenting, and he took charge. "Come on, mom. We need to go ring shopping." He lowered the partition to direct their driver to stop at the nearest jewelry store.

Cat laughed, and stopped him. "Carter, I already have one. I bought it on a whim, a while ago. Kara and I walked by a display one day, and she just fell in love with one of the rings she saw. She tried not to react, but you know how bad Kara is at keeping secrets. So that day, I called the store and had it sent to me." She grinned at Carter. "Kara was pretty devastated when we walked by two days later, and the ring was gone."

She shook her head at her own foolishness. "I guess I knew, even then, that I wanted Kara to marry me. I told myself it was a good luck charm, but it was more than that. I just wasn't sure I'd ever get the chance." She wrapped an arm casually over Carter's shoulder. "I needed you to talk some sense into me first."

Carter smiled happily. "Can we ask her tonight?"

"Let's see when she gets home."

SCSCSCSCSCSC

By the time Alex, Astra, and Kara arrived, Cat had already cooked dinner and left it warming in the oven. She and Carter were watching a rerun of the Big Bang Theory while they waited for the women. When they heard the doorknob click, Carter jumped up nervously. "Mom! They're here!"

Cat smiled at her son. He was even more anxious than she was, or at least she was better at hiding it. The door opened, and Kara immediately put up a hand. "We need showers and new clothes. Those aliens were pretty gross."

Cat laughed and waved the three women in. "Go shower." As they walked by, she noticed the faint odor of alien. Carter wrinkled his nose at the smell.

The two of them looked at each other, not knowing quite what to do with themselves while they waited. Finally, Cat broke the silence. "I'll get dinner out. You set the table." Carter nodded, and they got to work.

When Kara emerged from the bedroom, Cat was relieved to smell only Kara's conditioner and body wash. She wrapped the younger woman in a tight, desperate hug. "Hey," Kara said softly. "Is everything okay?" She pulled back and looked into Cat's eyes. "Did something happen? Did your mother come back?"

"No, Kara," Cat responded. "Everything is fine. I just missed you."

Kara smiled softly and kissed Cat hungrily, pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around Cat's neck to deepen the kiss. Carter cleared his throat loudly. "I don't need to see this," he complained, without much conviction.

Cat smiled and slowly ended the kiss. There would be plenty of time for that later. Alex and Astra entered the room, and they all sat down to dinner. They slipped into easy conversation, with the three women describing their experiences with today's aliens. They laughed about Kara's attempt to dive after an escaping creature, only to land on the ground as the wriggling creature slithered out of her grasp. In the end, they'd had to use rubber gloves and freeze breath to maneuver the strange-looking creatures.

"What's going to happen to them?" Carter asked with curiosity.

"We're not sure yet," Alex responded. "We're going to need to consult Kara's A.I., and see if there's any information about these creatures. Once we know what they need to survive, maybe we can find a place to relocate them."

"Like an alien zoo?" Carter suggested, amused.

"Something like that," Alex answered with a smile.

"Kara has an A.I.?" Cat inquired.

Kara looked at Cat. "Alex set it up for me. It's a hologram of my mother, and contain's Krypton's knowledge base. If anyone knows about these aliens, it's her."

"Isn't that hard?" Cat asked softly. "Seeing your mother, and talking to her, but not really connecting?"

Kara nodded sadly. "It's bittersweet. But now Astra's here, and that's a connection with home that I never expected to have." She smiled at her aunt.

They were done eating, and Cat announced that there was ice cream in the freezer. But first… she shared a glance with Carter, who got up and left the room. He came back a moment later holding a small box.

"Kara," he said quietly, "my mom and I wanted you to have this." Carter opened the box, and Kara's mouth fell open as she spotted the ring she'd been admiring a few weeks ago.

Cat took her hand and said, "Kara, I can't imagine my life without you. You are far too good for me, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to be deserving of your love. Kara Zor-El Danvers, will you marry me?"

Kara leapt up as Alex and Astra grinned happily. She lifted Cat easily out of her chair, and grabbed her in a hug that was just a little bit too tight for humans. "Yes!" she squealed happily. "Of course!"

Cat didn't care that she couldn't breathe. Nothing mattered except that Kara had said yes. She found Kara's lips with her own, and kissed her softly.

Alex laughed. "Kara, Cat is about to turn blue. You might want to loosen up a little."

"Oh!" Kara said in surprise. "Sorry!" She loosened her grip.

Cat smiled, put the ring on Kara's finger, and kissed her again. For a moment, Kara lost herself in the kiss, and then she pulled away and turned to Carter, who was beaming. "Are you sure this is okay with you?" she asked.

"Kara, we both love you. Of course it's okay with me," he responded.

Cat laughed. "He was the one who talked some sense into me earlier. Tonight was his idea."

"Really?" Kara asked, looking at Carter with wide, hopeful eyes.

He nodded, smiling. "My mom doesn't always know what she wants. Someone had to intervene."

Kara reached over and grabbed him into a hug, kissing him on the cheek as he squirmed slightly. "Then I will owe you for the rest of my life."

Carter shook his head. "You make my mom happy. That's enough for me."

Kara grinned. "Suddenly, I'm not hungry. At least not for ice cream." She eyed Cat hungrily, and scooped her up into a bridal carry. "We'll see you later." Using a burst of super-speed, she brought Cat into their bedroom and slammed the door.

Alex laughed. "My sister, not hungry? That's a new one." She got up to grab some bowls. "I guess we're on our own for the rest of the night. Who wants ice cream?"


End file.
